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Gaming agency urges end to casino fight

 
By Tony Thornton | Published: February 29, 2008    Comment on this article Leave a comment

Federal Indian gaming regulators Thursday urged New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to avoid a showdown over an Oklahoma-based tribe's small, isolated casino.

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New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ordered a blockade Wednesday of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe's new casino in Deming, N.M., shown in this provided photo. Photo Provided By Jeff Houser

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The National Indian Gaming Commission's letter to Richardson came one day after the same agency said it likely would intervene if the Fort Sill Apache Tribe opens its 120-machine casino.

Richardson ordered a blockade Wednesday by the New Mexico State Police amid reports that the tribe planned to let casino workers test the machines Thursday.

About 50 state officers responded, although by Thursday only about a dozen remained at the site.

The heightened tension prompted this urging, aimed at Richardson, from the National Indian Gaming Commission's top attorney: "We encourage the state not to take any action that would cause a confrontation. We are extremely hopeful at this point that we will resolve the pending issues in a manner that does not place anyone at risk.”

The tribe's chairman, Jeff Houser, said Richardson's blockade scared a gambling machine vendor out of delivering equipment Thursday.

"We think it's a very intimidating action to have armed officers at the opening of our facility,” Houser said.

The casino site is on Interstate 10, roughly halfway between Deming and Las Cruces in southwest New Mexico.

The nearest casino is 150 miles away.

Houser said he hoped to open the casino by early April.

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Related Topics: Politics, Social Issues, U.S. Politics, World Politics, Native American Issues, Indigenous Issues, Government and Politics, U.S. State Politics, New Mexico Politics



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