Group wants to change casino laws

A group wants to allow Michigan horse tracks to be able to open up five new casinos in Michigan and an additional three in other Michigan locations.

A different group is trying to get new casinos in Benton Harbor, Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Muskegon and Romulus.  The group also includes a casino at the Detroit Airport.

Both groups would need to collect at least 300,000 votes to get it on the Michigan ballot.

Unusual News

 

by

Danielle Quisenberry

 

Two men have been charged with filling false police reports after they went to the FireKeepers casino and lost $350.00.  The money was suppose to be used to pay for college, I find the unusual part is why the big media has to only report when this activity happens in a Potawatomi casino and to name the Potawatomi tribe and casino, I checked to see if they do this with other non Native American casino's, and they don't.  



Mlive Link
 

Unusual News

Chron/AP Texas New
Milwaukee

A attorney has been charged with embezzling over $2.4 million dollars from a wealthy Texas-based client.  The money was stolen from a company that works in the computer service industry that handles large medical insurance companies,  The gentleman charged spent most of the money at a local casino and obviously had a serious problem that the tribes spend tremendous amounts of money to give assistance to people with gambling addictions.



Original Source Link
Gamblers Anonymous Link 

Native American Gaming

For many tribes, Native American gaming is successful when the federal government fulfills its written promise of promoting a tribes economic development and right to operate as a self-sufficient, and funded tribal government.  Today, of the 562 federally funded federally recognized Indian tribes, 225 operate 423 gaming operations in twenty-eight states in the United States.  Native American gaming revenues have increased to over $30 billion dollars a year.

Native American gaming revenues have been put to very good use.  They fund the construction of Native American culturally themed schools. tribal housing for it's tribal members to once again, be a tribe.  Cultural centers to showcase and educate the public and tribal members.  Provide police protection and fire protection to its members on sovereign land.  Create health care for it's tribal members who require care.  Provide social service programs and elders care services for the elders of the tribal community.

Native American gaming has created numerous opportunities for tribal members from jobs with insurance to benefits received outside of the tribal community, and many times to individuals that are not even tribal members.  Native American gaming has created 670,000 jobs for tribal members and non tribal members.  Native American revenues has provided tribes to expand beyond just Native American gaming into investing money in new businesses. 

Given the sheer breadth of this economic activity, Indian tribes pay billions annually for taxes,goods, services, and supplies more than ever.  Native American gaming has given many tribes the ability to flourish more than before.  Some tribes pay per capita and some don't, per capita means that some of the money goes back to tribal members, it all depends on what the agreement is and how much is owed.  It can not be disputed that Native American gaming does help tribes as a whole more than if their was not such a thing as Native American gaming. 

Native American Casinos

by

Michael Castranova

bohzo nikan (hello friend) Very complete and well written history of Michigan Native American Casino's  Article Link That i want to keep in our Bode'awdmi (Potawatomi) library.

Nchiwenmo (I am happy) that a screenwriter will be doing guest writing in April on the war of 1812 and the history of the critical time period for the Potawatomi's during the time period just before the removal act and how it affected the Potawatomi shortly after.  What he writes does not belong to me, i will pass it along to all the Potawatomi groups, sharing is what we did many years ago, it is how we survived.
bama (Good bye) Bgosenjege (Wish) you the best day!

Casinos asked to pay

Capital News Service
Lansing, Michigan,

Some Michigan state senators are asking casinos to help fund scholarships under a new bill that would allow school districts to establish college scholarships for students and graduates from money the districts receive under gaming compacts between the state and Indian casinos.

To read the entire story > Casino News Service Link

Muskegon casino in future

Tribal leaders from Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is looking into putting a casino in  Muskegon County.  The U.S. Supreme court has paved the way for another tribe's casino in Wayland, Michigan.

To read the entire story M.Live Link

 

Gambling Addiction

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www.SoberRecovery.com

Recovery Resources Online

Compulsive gambling addiction is a major problem, for the problem gambler proper assistance is available.   Pathologic gambling is a psychological addiction because of the "rush" you feel when you get or win money in gambling.  A person's experience and personality type also play a large role in gambling addictions.  People who are pathological gamblers can't control their impulses to gamble.  There are many different degrees of addiction.  All which can be treated differently.

There are several methods used to treat gambling addictions.  Most treatment programs will have the gambling addict take some form of psychotherapy or medication.  Medications for gambling addiction treatment are usually some form of anti-depressant.  SSRR's (Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) have proven to be effective for mood swings and pathological gamblers.  Psycho and cognitive behavior therapy aim at replacing negative beliefs with healthy and positive ones.  Group therapy can also be very helpful as a gambling addiction treatment as they offer a medium for advice, feedback and support.
(To reach help for gambling addiction click on the title of this story)

To reach Gamblers Anonymous Link 

I am posting this in case we come across or know someone that might have a gambling addiction.

Letter of concern

John T. Popp, the CEO of Aunt Millies Bakeries wrote a interesting letter to Indiana state legislators.

"Blue Chip has already suffered a 30% revenue loss from Four Winds Casino and now a second casino, FireKeepers will erode even more...We urge you NOT ...."


To read the letter link

Federally Recognized

The criteria for a tribe to be recognized by the federal government must meet all seven of the following criteria:

1, The petitioner must have existed substantially and on a continuous basis since 1900.
2, The petitioner has had a distinct community since historical times.
3, The petitioning group has maintained a political influence over it's members since historical          times.
4, The petitioner provides a copy of it's governing document.
5, The petitioner's members descend from the tribe.
6, The petitioner's membership are not members of another tribe.
7, The petitioner not be subject to legislation forbidding the Federal relationship.


Once a tribe can prove all seven of the criteria then the tribe can receive Federal assistance which includes, economic development, education, law enforcement, social services, real estate services, agriculture and range management, and resource protection.

There are sometimes benefits for members of a federally-recognized tribe because of opportunities given to tribes that are federally recognized based on federal programs and business ventures such as casinos and businesses that a federally recognized tribe owns and operates.

Hall of Fame Out Casino In?

South Bend, Indiana.

The College Football Hall of Fame might become the site of a downtown casino to help in creating local and state revenue and jobs.  It would be very difficult but might just happen due to the financial situation.

Imagine a casino in downtown South Bend.  First of all it would require a change in state law regarding casinos.  Right now casinos can only be in the form of riverboats.

Second it would require a vote by the people of Indiana by a special referendum.

Third, it would have to happen quickly because two other northern Indiana locations are already making great efforts to bring land based casinos quickly to Indiana, and currently lawmakers are not ready to grant either a gaming license.

Finally, it would require a casino to agree to come to downtown South Bend, Indiana.  A move that is very risky.  Currently there are 11 riverboats in Indiana and two casinos.

This month, the Statehouse's Gaming Study Committee, made up of four state senators and four representatives says that competition from Four Winds Casino Resort has greatly reduced Indiana's gaming revenue.  Blue Chip Casino reported losses up to 30% since the opening of Four Winds Casino Resort. 
(Click on the title of this story for the entire article)


Location of possible casino.

Four Winds Casino Radio Ad



The Blue Chip Casino commercial 

Indiana & Chicago next casino builders?

Indiana is considering expanding gambling to help bring in money and create jobs and Chicago is closer than ever in expanding  gambling to help offset a 13 billion dollar deficit even though reports show a loss of revenue to the casino market in Chicago. Chicago Tribune link
(Click on the title of the story for the entire article)

*New Casino Technology

The new technology out today is amazing, many casinos know who you are when you pull into the parking lot, for example, cameras scan license plates of cars as they approach to match a computer data base of undesirables, so if you are greeted at the door by security and are told, thanks for coming but please take your business elsewhere, well you will know that when you where involved in an incident and were asked to go to the office, someone was watching what car you were driving and getting your license plate then entering you into the computer so that ALL casinos would be aware of you, nowadays casinos share information with each other.

Casinos also have enough cameras in the sky to cover 80% of the entire casino, it is a computer that watches and red flags suspicious activity from reading body language and patterns more often than a skilled security personnel.

Casinos also use invisible bar coded cards to stop card swapping, the cameras and computers look for these bars codes the minute you sit down to play.

Most casinos also have RFID chips that have high-frequency radio transceivers hidden deep inside the chips that track the movement of the chips, location of the chips and computers red flag strange behavior. The chips also uses a complex numbering system than is engraved on the chip to stop counterfeiting along with a special polishing and finishing system done to the chips making them more difficult to counterfeit than currency.

Slot machines use high tech cryptography, the same kind of encryption that the government uses to protect secret systems, it uses a complex algorithm known as random number generation, making it nearly impossible to control.

The cashiers window is the last line of defense and automated scanners determine if your ID is valid before a cashier advances cash, a computer manages this also and will contact security if something turns up in the computer data base that is often linked up to many sources.

In today's casino world you have a much greater chance of getting caught doing something illegal in a casino than not in a casino.