California Nations Indian Gaming Association
California Casinos Clout
After years of poverty and virtual invisibility, Native Americans have become a potent political force, joining the ranks of the California Medical Association and Trial Lawyers Association as major political contributors. The power behind Prop 5, which legalized Nevada-style gaming in California, Native Americans traded a California exclusive on slots for revenue sharing with the state. Now, as a federal suit threatens tribal casinos, we look at the history as well as the future of California gaming with the head of the Center for Governmental Studies and gaming consultants to government and Native American tribes.