Battin Bill Moves Forward - SB 1201

Senate Bill 1201 by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, which would allow tribes with one of the original 61 compacts signed in 1999 to operate 2,000 machines, passed its first legislative review Tuesday of this week.

The 1999 compact set 2,000 as the maximum number of slot machines that any tribe could operate.

But the tribal-state agreement also included a complicated formula for setting the total number of machines allowed statewide.

The current cap set by the Gambling Control Commission is 61,957, though other state offices and a tribal group have calculated numbers as high as 113,000.

The current cap has left some tribes, especially those that were late in developing casinos, short of 2,000 machines.

Battin's bill calls for simply multiplying the 61 compacts by 2,000 machines to set the figure at 122,000.

Battin estimated that fewer than 8,000 additional slot machines would be installed statewide if his bill passed. The figure was based on a 2007 survey.

''SB 1201 will not cause a massive expansion of gaming,'' Battin said.

Proponents argued that it's only fair to let tribes that have 1999 compacts to install up to 2,000 if they have the facilities and a market for them.

They also said the additional machines could generate another $21 million to $34 million for non-gambling tribes, thus relieving other sources, including the state treasury, of that obligation.

Backers further noted that under recently amended compacts, some tribes now can add thousands, or even an unlimited number, of machines above the 2,000 limit.

SB 1201 opponents said signers of the 1999 compacts knew they placed limits on individual tribes and on machines statewide. Changing it now could be illegal and would be unfair to competing tribes whose renegotiated compacts place more environmental and community responsibilities on them, critics said.

'We are just picking and choosing sections we want to negate'' with SB 1201, complained Fred Jones, attorney for the California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion.

A spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no position on the bill.

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