In California, the Pauma Band Of Luiseno Mission Indians Of The Pauma And Yuima Reservation is set to receive more than $36 million in cash after the western state’s governor signed legislation into law intended to end a long-running licensing dispute.
According to a report from The Associated Press news service, the tribe won a lawsuit in front of the United States Court Of Appeals For The Ninth Circuit last year after arguing that it had been unnecessarily forced into signing a new Class II gaming compact in 2004. The plaintiff contended that the deal with then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger required it to pay a larger percentage of its revenues to the state in exchange for adding more slot machines to its Casino Pauma.
In its October ruling, the San Francisco court found that the new agreement for the northern San Diego County casino had not been required and that the state had misrepresented the need for any such revised deal, which saw the tribe pay $7.75 million a year compared to its previous $315,000.
“Since this misrepresentation induced the Pauma [Band Of Luiseno Mission Indians Of The Pauma And Yuima Reservation] to enter into the much more expensive 2004 amendment, the tribe is entitled to rescission of the amendment and restitution for the $36.2 million in overpayments made to the state,” read the judgment from Judge Richard Tallman.
To resolve the issue, current California governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1187 into law late last week authorizing the state to return the $36.2 million in overpayments that have been made by the Pauma Band Of Luiseno Mission Indians Of The Pauma And Yuima Reservation since 2004.