Anthony casino developers, opponents, react to Tigua tribe’s proposal to build a casino in Chaparral

The company partnering with the Jemez Pueblo in a bid to build a casino in Anthony put out this news release about a proposal by the Tigua tribe of El Paso to build a casino in Chaparral.

(You can read about The Tiguas by clicking here or scrolling down.)

Jemez/Anthony casino responds to Tigua proposal

The recent announcement by the Tigua tribe of El Paso to begin the process of seeking an off-reservation casino on trust land within the state of New Mexico faces overwhelming legal challenges before becoming a reality. Although the planners for the proposed Jemez/Anthony casino project wish them the best on this project, the Fifth Circuit Court has already previously ruled that the Tigua tribe can’t game, the state of Texas has said they can’t game, and the federal government has said they can’t game. Similar to the plan first announced by the Ft. Sill Apache tribe of Oklahoma in November 2004, the Tigua plan faces great challenges and is unlikely to meet with success.

Like the Ft. Sill project, the Tiguas aren’t likely to meet the Department of Interior’s criteria for the following reasons:

The Department of Interior has never approved an application for an out-of-state tribe. For example, the department recently rejected the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma’s bid for a casino to settle a land claim near Denver, which is another good market.

In the three off-reservation casinos approved by the Department of the Interior, no other Indian casinos have been allowed to enter the same geographic market once approved. This was reiterated by Gary Garrison, spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, in an article from the Albuquerque Journal in November 2004, when he said it was highly unlikely a tribe would get approval under these conditions.

The proposed Jemez-Anthony casino project is the largest private economic development project in the history of Doña Ana Country, and represents 950 good-paying jobs with healthcare for area residents. The proposal enjoys widespread support from county government, Anthony officials, and thousands of area residents. The Pueblo of Jemez knows the application process is lengthy, and two years into the process, their application continues to move forward.

And the other side’s comments

Here’s the other side arguing its case. Scott Scanland, a lobbyist for Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, gave these comments to the Albuquerque Journal. The racetrack’s owner, Stan Fulton, is behind the Committee to Protect Doña Ana County, which was formed in an attempt to kill the Anthony casino proposal.

“A little over two years ago, when this whole heinous scheme started, I testified, along with others from Sunland Park, in front of the Doña Ana County Commission and said that what is occurring now, would occur — that there would be a casino on every corner,” Scanland was quoted by the Journal as saying.

Scanland also said opponents are focusing on defeating the Jemez proposal first, because it has a two-year lead on the others.

“What we’re doing now is communicating with the federal government in opposition to the Jemez/Peters casino,” Scanland said. “There have been some bills over the last few years trying to curb or stop (off-reservation gambling), but with the new (Democratic majority) Congress, the prospect of any of that type of legislation passing is pretty small.”