California Tribes Reject California Gambling Control Commission Minimum Security Standards

Last week, with the support of State Attorney General Jerry Brown's representatives, California gaming tribes overwhelmingly rejected a set of minimum security standards that the California Gambling Control Commission wants to enforce in all Indian casinos.

The commission has been preparing for months to adopt the regulations unilaterally and apply them to all the state's nearly 60 casinos.

Tribal attorneys have vowed to take the commission to court to settle a long-running dispute over the extent of the state's authority to regulate Indian gaming industry.

“We're anticipating that this issue will ultimately be resolved in the courts, and we're confident that we'll prevail,” said Scott Crowell, an attorney for the Rincon band of San Diego County.

The state began developing the internal security guidelines two years ago after a federal court tossed out similar standards developed by the National Indian Gaming Commission. The court concluded the NIGC had exceeded its authority.

The CGCC rules are an attempt to set a baseline for equipment and personnel that watch over the money as it flows through a casino.

The regulations also cover internal audits, other surveillance and the games themselves, from technical specifications to how often decks of cards must be changed.

Tribes contend that they already spend millions of dollars a year to comply voluntarily with many of the standards. They also believe any new rules should be negotiated as part of a tribal-state gambling agreement.

The CGCC’s had no idea that the State Attorneys office would support the tribes in this matter and declined comment.

A spokesman for Brown said the attorney generally supports the standards, but does not agree with some of the revisions the commission made which the federal court earlier decreed as invalid.

The CGCC is also in the process of adopting a similar set of standards for the state's nearly 100 card rooms. Tribes have complained in the past that the state was attempting to force Indian casinos to abide by rules that didn't exist in card clubs.

Card clubs are supporting the new regulations support and will go before the commission for a vote next week.

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