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A Failed Policy
Gambling With The Good Life educates the public regarding the problems with expanded gambling by providing documented information that proves the devastation and destruction of the gambling industry to individuals and communities.
History of the Ponca Indian Casino Project
Please feel free to share this information with your family and friends in an effort to educate them about the ills of expanded casino gambling. The following is a documented, chronological account of how the predatory gambling industry attempted to use deception and legal maneuvering to bring a casino to the doorstep of Omaha, Nebraska.
In 1877…
Flooding and shifting of the Missouri River left a small parcel of Iowa land (2,000 acres) on the Nebraska side of the river. This area is known as Carter Lake, Iowa, with a population of 3,300. Carter Lake is just blocks northeast of downtown Omaha and directly across from Eppley Airport. It is within a short distance of the Century Link Center, Gallup University, and TD Ameritrade Park.
In 1962…
The federal government, at the request of the Ponca Indian tribe, terminated the tribe's status and divided its land and money among its members — fewer than 70 in number at that time.
In 1990…
The federal government, again at the request of the Ponca tribe, recognized the Ponca Indians as an official tribe. This made them eligible for federal funding of which they have made extensive use. They claim 1,000 members in Nebraska and Iowa, but this has yet to be proven. The Ponca Tribe is the smallest of Nebraska's four Native American tribes and has no reservation.
In 1999…
The Ponca tribe purchased five acres of land in Carter Lake. They placed it in "Trust" in 2002 for the purpose of building a health clinic, though no health clinic has ever been established on that property. The Ponca Tribe has no tribal interest in Carter Lake. Tribal leaders repeatedly misled local and state officials in Iowa about the tribe's actual intentions. Many times they reiterated that the land was for a clinic, not a casino.
In October 2007…
Unbeknown to anyone in Nebraska, the Ponca Tribe appealed to the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) to be able to build a casino on their land in Carter Lake. It was denied because the site was not taken into Trust for gambling purposes under the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regulations. The Ponca Tribe appealed the decision. The NIGC is an independent regulatory agency established within the Department of Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 — a bureaucracy with no elected officials.
On December 31, 2007…
The NIGC reversed their ruling by giving permission to build a casino. NIGC stated that although there had been deception on the part of the Ponca Tribe, NIGC could not restrict their land usage.
In January 2008…
Dirk Kempthorne, the United States Secretary of Interior, made a decision to tighten regulations so Native Americans could not purchase off-reservation land for gambling purposes. He correctly noted that tribes have been permitted to put land in "Trust" since 1930 for the purpose of tribal unity. The current rash of applications seemed to have more to do with gaming money than tribal cohesiveness. What generally happens when Indians receive the "rights" to build a casino is that "right" is quickly leased to a Nevada gambling operation that funds and operates the project. A percentage is then given to the tribe. From that percentage, a few tribal members get rich while the majority sees minimal financial benefits. Few, if any, jobs are created for Native Americans through this process.
Since 1988…
When the IGRA (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) was passed, hundreds of Indian casinos have been built with reported revenue in 2006 alone of $25 billion — most of which goes to the Nevada operators. Despite the percentage received by the tribes, very little improvement can be seen in the lifestyle of the majority of tribe members.
On January 30, 2008…
Attorney General Jon Bruning filed an appeal on behalf of the state of Nebraska to halt the Ponca Tribe from building a casino in Carter Lake. The State of Iowa also joined the suit.
On November 28, 2008…
The judge ruled in favor of the states of Nebraska and Iowa. Since that time, the Ponca tribe has been using a trailer on the site to run a drive-through cigarette business — a sad substitute for the original "health clinic" that was promised.
On October 19, 2010…
A Federal Court, in a 2-1 decision, reversed the November 28, 2008 ruling. As a result, this controversy was referred back to the Department of Interior for review.
Key Facts About Indian Gaming
Indian casino revenue in 2006 alone — most going to Nevada operators, not tribal members
Of Indian casinos built since the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was passed in 1988
Health clinics ever built on the Carter Lake land the Ponca Tribe promised would be used for healthcare
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The gambling industry relies on public ignorance. Share these facts and join our fight to protect Nebraska families.