Judge approves 13,000 more slots for tribes

March 31, 2010

Over 13,000 new slot machine licenses will be made available for California Indian casinos. The ruling came earlier this week from a federal judge that ruled in favor with a tribe in Valley Center.

Gambling Tribes and the state have argued over the amount of slot machines allowed to legally operate in California. The original agreement in 1999 was vaguely worded causing different interpretations by both parties.

The original amount of allowed slots were 32,151. Last year a judge had approved an increase to 42,700. As of Wednesday, the total has been raised to 55,952 by Judge William McCurine Jr.

Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort is owned by the Rincon Band of Mission Indians. The tribe sued the state in federal court. Fighting that the governor was forcing the tribes to negotiate larger payments for the state by keeping a lower slot machine license limit.

The tribe claimed that would cause an illegal tax on tribes.

Return to California Casinos.