Senator Feinstein Compromises

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who for years has fought to shut down the San Pablo Indian casino, introduced a bill yesterday that drew support from the tribe and some of the casino's most vocal critics. The compromise bill would lock in what the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians has now which is 1,050 electronic bingo games that mimic slot machines. But if the tribe ever seeks to expand to "Class III" gambling, such as slot machines, craps or "banked" card games such as blackjack and baccarat, they would be required to go through a stringent federal process which has historically killed similar proposals. This legislation "ensures that a major Nevada-style casino will not be built in the Bay Area in the near future," Feinstein said.

Three years ago the tribe proposed transforming the facility into a 600,000-square-foot "Class III" casino with 5,000 slot machines, which would have been the state's largest. But because of opposition tribal officials decided to shelve Nevada-style gaming altogether.

To me this is just another example of how the tribes, the State and local communities are slowly finding some sort of equilibrium when it comes to Indian Gaming. A work in progress for years to come.

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