Indian casinos subject of conference

6/29/2004

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is somewhat downplaying a press conference tomorrow in the nation’s capitol involving the issue of Indian gaming. According to a news release, the event is to “address Indian Country Crime prevention and the establishment of the Indian Gaming Working Group and the proactive measures in place to investigate this $15 billion gaming problem.”

An FBI official who did not wish to be identified described it this way: “ The revenues from Indian gaming have increased from $100 million in 1989 to $15 billion in 2004. That outpaces gaming operations in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City. We want to get ahead of this before any problems surface.”

The media briefing is hosted by FBI Assistant Director Joseph Lewis and members of the Criminal Investigative Division's Indian Country/ Special Jurisdiction Unit. Representatives from the National Indian Gaming Commission, Department of Interior, Internal Revenue Services, Department of Treasury, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Justice will attend the DC event.

The FBI has been visible in Oklahoma with respect to the tribal gaming business during the past year. Notable, the agency has launched a criminal probe of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, demanding that they turn over financial records that show how casino profits have been spent.

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