Operator News
US – Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians member protest against purchase of Caesars’ casino
By Phil - 19 January 2021
A member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) has launched a formal protest to its own EBCI Tribal Council regarding its decision to buy the Caesars Southern Indiana casino for $250m.
The acquisition would see the Tribe’s first move into commercial gaming, with Robert Saunooke, an attorney and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), slamming the move as being both irresponsible and against the Charter.
He has submitted a formal protest to the Council.
In it he writes: “Aside from the fact that I think this is a horrible business deal, it appears to me the way it’s set up that it violates the Tribal Charter, which requires the Tribal Council to control all real and personal property of the Tribe. The way the company is set up it is controlled by a board that the Tribal Council has no authority over. They can’t fire, they can’t direct, they can’t do anything with, which would be violation of our Charter. That’s in Section 16 of the Charter.”
He added: “The second reason is we don’t have the money to pay for this. The silos that our gaming funding is put into under Chapter 16 has capital improvements, infrastructure, debt reduction, but there’s no pool of money in our general fund that allows us to purchase casinos with it. The Tribe can obligate itself with loans and stuff. They’re going to have to violate our ordinances and pull money out to purchase it, which I think is wrong.”
“We’re not getting anything. I don’t think people realise the $250m they’re paying doesn’t buy us a building, because we don’t own the building. It doesn’t buy us any gains or any funds for any tangible goods. We’re basically paying to assume a lease obligation that Harrah’s has with this company that owns that building and the group that’s there. Because we’re not buying any assets.”
