Casino news sources: El Paso Times - http://www.elpasotimes.com/
Proposed Tigua casino could hurt NMSU (10:12 a.m.)
Associated Press
Article Launched: 01/22/2007 10:13:13 AM MST
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State University's chances of receiving half ownership of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino could be jeopardized by a proposed casino at Chaparral.
The owner of the Sunland Park track, Stan Fulton, has offered to leave the university 50 percent of the operation when he dies - but that's contingent on no other casino existing within a 50-mile radius.
The Tigua tribe has proposed building an off-reservation casino at Chaparral in far southern New Mexico to replace one that Texas forced it to close four years ago. Sunland Park is about 20 miles from Chaparral.
Two years ago, Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico and Santa Fe businessman Gerald Peters proposed building an off-reservation casino in Anthony, also within Fulton's 50-mile provision. A group in Anthony has organized against the casino.
NMSU President Michael Martin has said the university will not take sides in the issue.
Both the Jemez and Tigua tribal governments would have to persuade the federal government that their gambling proposals would benefit their tribes and would not harm nearby communities. The Interior secretary and the state's governor would have to sign off on the proposals.
Jemez Pueblo and Peters have proposed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs put land in Anthony in trust for the pueblo and that the pueblo be allowed to build a casino there, 300 miles from the pueblo. The BIA is studying the plan and assessing its impacts.
Tigua Gov. Art Senclair said last week that his tribe has asked the BIA's Albuquerque-based Southern Pueblos Agency to approve placing the 10 acres in trust for the tribe.
A third tribe also has suggested a casino in southern New Mexico on land it has owned since 1998.
The Oklahoma-based Fort Sill Apache tribe purchased 30 acres near Interstate 10 in Deming. Fort Sill Apache Chairman Jeffrey Houser said tribal officials will meet next month to discuss a casino on that land, at the Akela exit off Interstate 10. "We're not actively taking action, but at the tribal meeting in February we plan to discuss ideas with moving forward, planning what to do there," Houser said. |
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