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| Slot Machine Suppliers Are N.M. Gaming's Big Winners
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In an article in the Albuquerque Journal on March 20, 1997 by investigative reporter Thom Cole, we are told of the real beneficiaries of the states illegal Indian casinos. The article states, "Suppliers of slot machines hit the jackpot in selling and leasing devices to illegal Indian casinos in New Mexico.
"Machine suppliers-many of them non-Indian and from out of state-have reaped tens of millions of dollars from the gambling operations."
"And the most recent legal threat to the suppliers-a federal grand jury investigation-has been shut down, possibly forever." It appears that New Mexico qualifies for being a "banana republic." The illegal casinos are allowed to remain open but the grand juries are shut down!
In commenting on the current legal state of the casinos, the article continues, "The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals in January upheld a lower court ruling that the Indian casinos are illegal but allowed the gambling operations to remain open at least until April or May. Kelly said he will re-evaluate his enforcement position 'with respect to the tribes and the vendors' when the stay is lifted.
"The Legislature is considering state-tribal compacts to legalize the casino, and it could act before the stay lifted by the federal courts. p 21, federal law known as the John son act makes it a crime to 'manufacture, recondition, repair, sell, transport, possess or use any gambling device' on Indian land unless used by tribes with state-tribal compacts for casino gambling.
"But some tribes in New Mexico obtained machines long before compacts were signed by Gov. Gary Johnson in February 1995, and those compacts later were declared invalid by both state and federal court the brief period the comp were in place, some of the nation's major slot machine supplier, such as Sodak Gaming and Bally Gaming, provided devices in New Mexico.
"The state Supreme Court in July 199S ruled the compacts were void and four months later found all casino gambling to be illegal in New Mexico.
"Kelly on Dec. 14, 1995, publicly announced the casinos were operating illegally and threatened to force their closure. The major slot machine suppliers wit ++ ٶ * * QY+ [ Dz * + =+ >+` +` ۸ : dY `Y ն ӷ *+ 6 ]Y Ͽ L D eY :+` W+ : `Y Զ Ӷ :+` W+` W+ :++ ض W+ W Z f ! " )# -& |