California welfare recipients using state-issued debit cards withdrew more than $1.8 million in taxpayer cash on casino floors between October 2009 and last month, state officials said Thursday.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order requiring welfare recipients to promise they will use cash benefits only to “meet the basic subsistence needs” of their families. The order also gave the state Department of Social Services seven days to produce a plan to reduce other types of “waste, fraud and abuse” in the welfare program.
The moves came after The Times reported Wednesday that officials at the department failed to notice for years that welfare recipients could use the state-issued cards to withdraw taxpayer cash at more than half of the tribal casinos and state-licensed poker rooms in California. The state initiated the debit card program in 2002.
Casino withdrawals, which represented far less than 1% of total welfare spending during the eight months for which the department released data, averaged just over $227,392 a month.
Schwarzenegger has already ordered the vendor that runs the state welfare system’s ATM network to prohibit the cards from working at casino machines. Republican lawmakers are now calling on the administration to track down the people who withdrew cash at gaming centers and recover the money.
“I’d say that $227,000 per month is an astounding waste of taxpayer dollars,” said Seth Unger, spokesman for Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick of Solana Beach. “To me it is absolutely clear that the department failed in its duty to provide oversight. We should explore all options to get the money back.”
The electronic benefit transfer cards allow welfare recipients to access two accounts: cash offered through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and an electronic version of food stamps, which comes with strict rules governing how the money can be spent.
The cash benefits, however, can be withdrawn and spent just about anywhere. A Times review of state records found that the cards work at ATMs in 32 of 58 tribal casinos and 47 of 90 state-licensed poker rooms.
Most of the ATMs impose a withdrawal limit of about $300 a day. The monthly cash grant for a family of three ranges up to $694, while families with more than 10 people can get as much as $1,469, documents from the Social Services Department show.
Some Assembly Republicans called Thursday for assurances that welfare recipients can’t access ATMs at other “seedy” businesses. “If they’re going to shut down … the casinos, why not also shut down the ATMs at liquor stores and bars?” Unger asked.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said the point of the executive order was to force the department to examine the program for all manner of abuse, but did not specify any other kinds of businesses that might be weeded out of the network. “We’re going to eliminate any waste, fraud and abuse that makes sense to eliminate,” he said.
Democrats, who have been fighting to preserve the state’s fraying social safety net in the face of a $19-billion budget gap, angrily rejected a Schwarzenegger proposal last month to eliminate the cash portion of welfare.
That was before anyone in Sacramento realized the money could be withdrawn by someone strolling from a poker game to a blackjack table.
Democratic leaders steered away from specifics while discussing calls for reform.
“We will conduct timely legislative oversight,” said Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). “We want to make sure all families are spending the money on the children it’s intended to serve.”
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It figures that a billionaire would win big in Las Vegas.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker reported a gambling windfall of $1.4 million on his federal tax return this week.
The two-term Democrat, often mentioned as a 2028 presidential candidate, told reporters in Chicago on Thursday that he drew charmed hands in blackjack during a vacation with first lady MK Pritzker and friends in Sin City.
“I was incredibly lucky,” he said. “You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere.”
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel chain, has a net worth of $3.9 billion, tied for No. 382 on the Forbes 400 list of the nation’s richest people. A campaign spokesperson said via email that Pritzker planned to donate the money to charity but did not respond when asked why he hadn’t already done so.
Pritzker, who intends to seek a third term in 2026, was under consideration as a vice presidential running mate to Kamala Harris last year. He has deflected questions about any ambition beyond the Illinois governor’s mansion. But he has used his personal wealth to fund other Democrats and related efforts, including a campaign to protect access to abortion.
His profile has gotten an additional bump this fall as he condemns President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement in Chicago and the president’s attempt to deploy National Guard troops there.
The Pritzkers reported income of $10.66 million in 2024, mostly from dividends and capital gains. They paid $1.6 million in taxes on taxable income of $5.87 million.
Pritzker is an avid card player whose charitable Chicago Poker Challenge has raised millions of dollars for the Holocaust Museum and Education Center. The Vegas windfall was a “net number” given wins and losses on one trip, he said. He declined to say what his winning hand was.
“Anybody who’s played cards in a casino, you often play for too long and lose whatever it is you won,” Pritzker said. “I was fortunate enough to have to leave before that happened.”
O’Connor writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Sophia Tareen contributed to this report from Chicago.
PRIMM, Nevada — As the sun set just before 8 p.m., the bison-headed neon marquee welcoming visitors to Primm flickered faintly. The animal’s face was dark, though the words “Buffalo Bill’s” remained alight — for now — for the down-on-its-luck resort and casino.
Inland Empire residents Marcy Glenn and Kristina Gula parked in a mostly vacant lot and ran to pose for a selfie in front of the sign. One last snapshot.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, when I was handed a bag of quarters to play all day at the arcade,” Gula said. “I just can’t believe it’s closing.”
Primm was once one of Nevada’s more popular gambling resorts, a less expensive, less flashy, slightly more kitschy alternative to Las Vegas that benefited from being a good 45 minutes closer than Sin City.
It was the place where you could stop and ride the iconic freeway-adjacent roller coaster, ogle the Bonnie and Clyde “Death Car” or shop at the premium outlet mall.
But a series of factors has contributed to Primm’s slow decline, including the COVID pandemic and increased competition from casinos popping up on tribal lands in California.
Those newer casinos are easier to get to than Primm from key Southern California population centers, reducing the value proposition.
Lights still glow on the Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino sign in July.
The Western-themed Buffalo Bill’s resort in Primm concluded a 31-year run of regular business on July 6. Its owner, Affinity Gaming, ended its “24/7 operations,” not a positive sign in an area acclaimed for nonstop action. Buffalo Bill’s partial shuttering follows Affinity’s recent closure of its nearby Whiskey Pete’s resort, leaving the Primm Valley Casino Resorts as the lone survivor.
Rancho Cucamonga friends Glenn and Gula often visited the town — which includes a popular lotto store where Nevadans can buy California lottery tickets, chain fast-food spots, a pair of gas stations and a virtually abandoned mall that once welcomed crowds of daily visitors.
On this weekend, however, the duo stayed at a Sin City short-term rental.
“There’s no easy answer as to why Primm is in its current state,” said Amanda Belarmino, associate professor of hospitality management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “They’ve had a slow decline expedited by COVID-19, and they’ve been unable to respond to competition in California and southern Nevada.”
The Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino, once one of the tallest and fastest coasters in the world, has long been closed to the public.
A screaming coaster and a $7 prime rib dinner
In American mystery writer Dolores Hitchens’ 1955 classic, “Sleep With Strangers,” the novel’s hero, private investigator Jim Sader, drives from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, noting his trip includes only “empty valley” and the “shimmering mist of heat.”
When he finally pulls over at a state-line roadside diner, he finds a barn-like restaurant split into halves: one side for slot machines and cards and the other for a soda fountain and lunch counter. Customers “who couldn’t wait for Las Vegas” are pulling the levers at the slots.
That vision of dining, playing and staying just across the state line was one that called to Ernest Primm. It was in the ’50s that he installed a motel and coffee shop at a spot in the road called State Line. Primm was the poker czar of the South Bay. Starting in the 1930s, he ran card rooms in Gardena, places where patrons might be lured in with a 25-cent steak.
He eventually relinquished control of six poker houses in Gardena to build Whiskey Pete’s in Primm. The area was renamed from State Line to Primm in 1996 after his death.
“When Primm was first developed, it was really a destination resort area for Southern Californians, people from the Los Angeles and Mojave areas,” Scott Butera, Affinity’s chief executive and president, said at a February meeting of the Nevada Gaming Commission.
The castle-shaped Whiskey Pete’s, which shuttered in December, opened in 1977, followed by Primm Valley in 1990 and Buffalo Bill’s in 1994.
Each hosted the famed Bonnie & Clyde “Death Car,” the V-8 Ford riddled with more than 100 bullets in 1934. Whiskey Pete’s offered a 24-hour IHOP, and Californians and Nevadans visited Primm Valley’s 100-store outlet mall supported by shoppers bused into the mall for free or at discounted prices as a part of tours.
There was also Buffalo Bill’s Desperado, the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1994; it sent visitors screaming 209 feet above the freeway right outside the resort. A tram, now dusty and shuttered, connected all three resorts.
Buffalo Bill’s and its sister resorts closed in March 2020 when the pandemic hit, reopening between December 2022 and 2023. But they struggled to attract customers.
The Desperado roller coaster at Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino made its final run in Feburary 2020. (Bridget Bennett/For The Times)
A sign blocks an entrance to the Primm Mall in July. Once a popular shopping stop for travelers between Las Vegas and Southern California, the mall has seen a steep decline in recent years.
Affinity Gaming announced Buffalo Bill’s full-time closure in July, saying the resort would still host concerts and special events at its arena, with the casino, food and beverage services, and the hotel open during those times. Whiskey Pete’s was closed — at least temporarily — on Dec. 18. Affinity personnel asked the board on March 4 to approve an extended closure until Dec. 18, 2026, with the possibility of two six-month extensions.
The approved closure allows the resort to maintain its county gaming license while Whiskey Pete’s operates up to 40 slot machines at its adjacent gas station.
The company, which operates the casinos via a lease agreement with the Primm family, turned down requests to speak about its resorts or the future of Primm.
Gamblers inside Primm Valley Casino Resorts, the last casino standing, in July.
Not enough gamblers to go around
While other casinos in Nevada’s Clark County have cleaned up financially over the last 10 years, Primm’s have been — as UNLV’s Belarmino noted — on a slow slide.
In a letter to the Clark County Board of Commissioners, Erin Barnett, Affinity’s vice president and general counsel, wrote in October “that traffic at the state line has proved to be heavily weighted towards weekend activity and is insufficient to support three full-time casino properties.”
The story of Primm’s decline is directly tied to the rise of Southern California’s tribal casinos, according to Belarmino.
Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, run by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, sits in Highland, about 200 miles from Primm but less than half that distance from downtown L.A.
The 7,000 slot machines at Yaamava’ make the casino the West Coast’s largest, with 4,000 more slots than any Vegas peers.
Once, Yaamava’ was much humbler than the Primm resorts, opening in 1986 as a bingo hall. But by 1994, the location expanded into a 100,000-square-foot casino. Yaamava’ completed its most recent $760-million expansion in 2021, adding a 17-floor hotel tower, three bars and about 1,700 new slots.
Shortly after, Yaamava’ was one of several tribal casinos in San Bernardino and Riverside counties that declared an arms race with Nevada.
The tribal casinos are a pull for Southern Californians who might otherwise head to Primm, Affinity’s Butera acknowledged at February’s Gaming Commission meeting. “Now they have their own casinos,” he said, “quite large, nice casinos there.”
Still, Affinity is hoping a new airport planned for just north of Primm in the late 2030s and adjacent supporting businesses will spur a resurgence. Butera said at the February meeting that Primm was “in the process of doing a major repositioning.”
Primm 2.0 would have Primm Valley Hotel as its main resort, with national brands and new restaurant concepts and an improved truck stop travel center. There would also be a new $4-million marquee.
The vision is to restore Primm to a destination that Southern Californians traveling to Nevada would stop at, “get gas or recharge their car but also [have] something nice to eat, have a little fun at a casino and then move on.”
Signs alert any remaining passersby that this entrance at Primm Mall is closed. In July, the lone store in business was a thrift store.
Clothing time
It’s unclear if that would resuscitate Primm Valley’s 100-store outlet mall, an attraction that once extended Primm’s deals beyond cheap buffets and cocktails.
The Las Vegas Entertainment Guide wrote in December 2013 that Primm’s Prizm Outlets were “one of the top places to visit if you are visiting the Sin City and shopping is on your agenda.”
The 371,000-square-foot outlet mall, built in 1998, is attached to the Primm Valley Resort. Its retailers at one time included Neiman Marcus, Coach, American Eagle Outfitters, Fendi, Michael Kors and Kate Spade.
Las Vegas resident Lindsay Myer said the mall was a lure in its heyday.
“They had a jeans outlet and some good shopping,” said the 23-year-old as she stopped in Buffalo Bill’s before its closing in July. “Then the outlets closer to Vegas were built.”
Las Vegas North Premium Outlets, three miles from the Strip’s northern end, was built in 2003, with expansions completed in 2015. The South mall, near Harry Reid Airport, completed construction in 2011. They combined for more than 300 shops.
Meanwhile, more Primm storefronts became vacant.
By 2018, only 58 stores out of 111 total spots were operating. As of July, a thrift store was the only shop that remained.
Anna Barker and Chad Asindraza, both from Las Vegas, pose for a photo in front of the Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino sign.
For some, Primm just didn’t make sense
Scott Banks, a retired slot machine mechanic and salesman, said he never understood how Primm existed in the first place.
“I understand this is the first stop on your way through the desert to Las Vegas, but Vegas is only like 35 miles away,” said Banks, 65, a Sin City native. “The fact that people made that stop is something.”
Banks said he helped refurbish and update slot machines at Whiskey Pete’s in the mid-1980s, when it was undergoing one of its first expansions.
He was also a frequent visitor to Primm for its $1 hot dogs, the outlet mall and the roller coaster. When those amenities dropped away, so did he.
“Whiskey Pete’s, Primm, was an incredible gamble by the Primm family, and it worked, it worked for years,” he said. “That’s the way to look at it.”
Cambodia is one of the key hubs for gambling operations in Southeast Asia. Online and offline gambling have expanded to neighboring countries, contributing to the proliferation of transnational crimes such as human trafficking, online scams, and labor exploitation. Women are the most vulnerable group to exploitation and violence. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there are at least 100,000 victims of human trafficking working in Cambodia (UNODC, 2023). High poverty rates and limited job opportunities in the country increase people’s vulnerability to becoming trapped in these crimes. Many victims are offered well-paid jobs, but in reality, they are often forced to work, sexually exploited, and subjected to abuse.
Gender inequality and patriarchal structures in Southeast Asia exacerbate women’s vulnerability to human trafficking, sexual violence, and economic subordination. The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh recorded 1,761 Indonesian citizens who were victims of online scams in Cambodia, with the majority of them identified as women (Sekarwati, 2024). This situation indicates that transnational crimes based on illegal gambling not only threaten a country’s economic stability and national security but also create humanitarian crises and strengthen gender inequality in the region.
Conceptual Framework
Feminism does not interpret gender in a biological context but rather as a social construct that creates a hierarchy between masculinity—associated with strength and rationality—and femininity, which is often considered inferior. This hierarchy produces inequality between women and men (Baylis et al., 2014). Feminism also emphasizes the importance of integrating women’s experiences and voices into global political analysis (Enloe, 2014). This perspective is emancipatory, as it explains the subordination of women in marginalized positions within the patriarchal international system. Therefore, feminism can be used to analyze state policies, particularly in the areas of security and transnational crime, which have traditionally focused on state interests and control over individuals, without considering the impact on women as the main victims.
Legalization of Gambling and Reproduction of Patriarchy by the Cambodian Government
Besides being the largest gambling center in Southeast Asia, Sihanoukville is a thriving hub for fraud and human trafficking operations. In 2020, there were 193 casinos in the city, indicating tremendous growth for gambling in Cambodia (Sok, 2023). The Cambodian government is taking advantage of gambling bans in neighboring countries such as Thailand and China by legalizing casino operations in areas such as Sihanoukville. This allows foreigners who cannot gamble in their home countries to play in Cambodia. This also attracted foreign investors from China to open a gambling industry in Cambodia since the Chinese government has strict restrictions on the gambling industry. In addition, Cambodia facilitates the development of gambling by providing various facilities to Chinese syndicates, such as tax exemptions, as the government considers the gambling industry an important source of revenue. In 2019, this sector contributed US$85 million to the country. Therefore, the Cambodian government considers that the gambling industry has a corresponding effect on other sectors, such as the economy, tourism, and services (Luo, 2023).
By legalizing the gambling industry, the Cambodian government is prioritizing economic interest over human security. In this context, economic gains take precedence over women’s security and rights. From a feminist perspective, this policy reflects a patriarchal structure in which women are positioned as objects to be controlled for economic purposes. Their bodies and labor are exploited as tools to generate profit, without adequate protection or recognition of their rights. As mentioned before, the gambling industry is closely linked to the economic, tourism, and service sectors, where women are the most vulnerable group, often exploited as sex workers and servants for foreign gamblers in Cambodia. The government’s policies uphold gender inequality and reinforce a patriarchal system that subordinates women. Women are physically and sexually exploited to satisfy men’s interest, while the state, through the legalization of gambling, legitimizes this objectification. As a result, certain men and elites benefit, while social justice and gender equality are neglected.
The state plays a role as an institution that maintains patriarchy through gender-discriminatory laws, policies, and political practices (Walby, 1990). The Cambodian government fails to provide job opportunities and develop a strong economic sector for its citizens; hence, the gambling industry is considered one of the most profitable sectors. As a result, women in the region are easily trapped in these crime syndicates due to limited employment opportunities and poverty.
Exploitation and Objectification in the Gambling Industry in Cambodia
The prevalence of gambling and other transnational crimes in Cambodia makes the country both a transit point and destination for victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia (De Leon, 2024). Trafficked women are often subjected to gender-based violence, including being forced into inappropriate work, overworked with inadequate wages, and assigned tasks that threaten their safety and security. Women are particularly vulnerable to being manipulated into working as ‘prostitutes.’ There is even a form of unconscious ‘voluntary’ prostitution, in which prostitution is perceived as a means of earning a living. From an abolitionist feminist perspective, prostitution violates human rights, and women involved in this activity are considered victims of human trafficking. According to Kathleen Barry, women who believe they are voluntarily engaged in prostitution are, in fact, victims of manipulations by crime syndicates, which create a false consciousness as a survival strategy (Lobasz, 2009).
Furthermore, online gambling advertisements on illegal websites often display images of beautiful women in sexy and seductive clothing. In this context, women are objectified to influence the public to visit these online gambling sites, reflecting the gender bias that places women in a subordinate position to men (Ikhsani, 2023). In the development of online gambling, women’s bodies are exploited for the economic benefit of certain elites, often men. The state overlooks this exploitation as long as it does not threaten national security as a whole. Women’s voices are rarely heard in discussions about gambling; they are often treated merely as statistics rather than as subjects who experience structural violence rooted in the patriarchal system and reinforced by socially constructed stereotypes.
The Impact of Gambling Expansion in Cambodia for Indonesia
From Indonesia’s perspective, the impact of online gambling expansion in Cambodia is significant. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (2024), between 2020 and 2023, a total of 1,233 Indonesian citizens fell victim to human trafficking in Cambodia. This situation is exacerbated by limited employment opportunities in Indonesia, which drives citizens to seek work abroad without realizing the potential risk of exploitation. Moreover, the Indonesian government estimates that more than 3 million Indonesian citizens are involved in online gambling activities that cost the country around USD 20 billion (UNODC, 2024). The high poverty rate in Indonesia encourages many of its citizens to play online gambling to find an easy way to earn money. This widespread practice has a negative impact on women, especially housewives, who are vulnerable to domestic violence due to a gambling-addicted partner. This addiction triggers financial conflicts as perpetrators divert funds for household needs to gambling. In many cases, the perpetrator forces his spouse to commit crimes such as stealing or even ‘exploiting’ his wife to pay all his gambling debts. According to the Central Statistics Agency of Indonesia (BPS), in 2024 there were 2,889 divorce cases caused by gambling (Revo M, 2025).
Furthermore, women face the double burden of earning a living to meet household needs while simultaneously taking care of the home. In some cases, women endure domestic violence from their partners because they feel powerless to report it. They also face negative stigma from their social environment as a result of their partner’s involvement in online gambling. This reflects a social system in Indonesia that tends to blame the victim rather than the perpetrator, labeling women as being incompetent in managing the household, poor at handling finances, or even failing to take care of their husbands (Kamalludin, 2024).
State Security vs. Human Security
In 2020, the Cambodian government enacted the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling, which provides for the licensing and regulation of commercial gambling. However, the government had already officially banned all forms of online gambling in 2019. This policy was not solely aimed at protecting the interests of its citizens but rather at maintaining diplomatic relations with China. China has been exercising its soft power in Southeast Asia by collaborating with Cambodia to transform Sihanoukville into an economic city (Luo, 2023). From a feminist perspective, this policy reflects elements of masculinity, as the government prioritizes interstate cooperation over the human security—particularly women—who are increasingly vulnerable to being re-trafficked or even criminalized by the state.
In addition, the large number of Indonesians involved in illegal gambling practices in Cambodia has prompted the Indonesian government to tighten security measures and cooperate with Cambodia through the Cambodia-Indonesia Bilateral Meeting on Immigration Matters to eradicate this crime. Feminist perspectives criticize government policies for being overly masculine, as they tend to prioritize state security and interstate cooperation. Feminist scholars also critique traditional theories that prioritize state interest over individual security, ultimately placing the safety of victims below the security needs of the state. In terms of interstate cooperation, policies developed by regional and international organizations primarily focus on strengthening borders, enhancing cooperation, improving law enforcement, and tightening the control of document production. These approaches concentrate on punishing perpetrators without addressing the structural problems that make victims vulnerable to exploitation by transnational crime syndicates. Moreover, because state policies are focused on state security, victims are often treated as criminals and deported without any support services. This lack of protection leaves them vulnerable to being trafficked again (Lobasz, 2009).
Conclusion
Feminist perspectives offer a critical space for women’s voices in international politics, especially in addressing the impact of illegal gambling and transnational crime. Gender inequality in social structures and patriarchal culture makes women the most vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and subordination. The case of gambling in Cambodia shows how women’s safety and rights are marginalized in favor of the state’s masculine interests. The state upholds the patriarchal system through policies that prioritize national security over individual protection. Therefore, it is important for governments, both at the domestic and regional levels, to consider gender-sensitive policies to prioritize human security that guarantees the rights, safety, and dignity of every citizen, ensuring protection without gender discrimination.
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About the author
James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Marcus Morris Sr. was denied bond during a hearing Tuesday morning in Florida’s Broward County two days after the former NBA player was arrested at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on felony fraud charges out of Nevada.
The judge denied Morris’ motion to set bond, saying that she did not have the jurisdiction to make such a ruling for an out-of-state case.
Footage from Tuesday’s hearing, posted online by TMZ, shows Morris in attendance, wearing a jail-issued beige jumpsuit and handcuffs. NBA free agent Markieff Morris also attended in support of his twin brother.
Records from the Las Vegas Township Justice Court indicate that warrants were issued earlier this year, one in March and the other in June, for Morris’ arrest. The Boca Raton, Fla., resident faces the same two felony counts in each case — drawing or passing a check for $1,200 or more with the intent to defraud and theft valued at $100,000 or more.
Yony Noy, an agent for Morris, has maintained on social media that Morris’ legal troubles stem from an outstanding marker with a casino.
During the proceedings, the prosecuting attorney representing the state of Florida, confirmed that there are two warrants for Morris’ arrest in Nevada and both are for outstanding markers for more than $100,000 each.
The prosecuting attorney also indicated that although Nevada is looking to extradite Morris, it is also willing to consider dismissing the charges if Morris’ debts are paid in full. An attorney representing Morris said that “a large payment” had already been sent via wire in an effort to resolve the issue.
Morris made more than $100 million in salary during an 11-year NBA career that included four seasons with the Clippers.
Re “Tribe Risks Rejection, Pushes Plan for Casino Near Capital,” Dec. 20: Native American gaming on nonreservation land would set a dangerous precedent and absolutely should not be allowed. Granting permission to even one such tribe places us on a slippery slope that could quickly turn into a landslide of applications for similar treatment by the many tribes that are suddenly appearing from seemingly out of nowhere. I am against any and all tribal gaming, as I believe it is inherently unfair to allow them to profit in an untaxed manner while other Californians, by virtue of their ethnic roots, are not allowed the same privilege. This is a very clear example of an “uneven playing field.”
In an extremely short period of time since approval of the 2000 ballot proposal that guaranteed tribes this unfair business advantage, Native American tribes have parlayed huge gaming profits into tremendous political clout. As political contributions and lobbying from tribal windfalls continue to increase, Californians can only expect to see more perks and political favors go inequitably to these “impoverished” tribes and their wealthy financial backers. This nonsense needs to stop now.
