Indian tribes may soon find it easier to build casinos on land far from their reservations under the Obama administration, according to a published report.
The new administration is discussing reversing a directive put in place by the Bush administration requiring that any off-reservation casino sites must be within commuting distance of the reservation,the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has supported the idea in the past, according to the WSJ. However, U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein have both asked for more investigation before allowing Indian tribes the change to place gaming sites on non-reservation land.
The idea of new casinos popping up closer to cities and populated areas could threaten existing casinos. Because of these, casino owners are pressuring the Interior Department to keep restrictions prohibiting new developments off tribal lands the WSJ reports.
About 22 Indian casinos on non-reservation land exist, and about 20 tribes have off-reservation plans in the works, according to the WSJ.
