Minnesota’s Running Aces Racino Adds More Casinos to RICO Suit
Track for harness racing in Minnesota Two more casinos have joined Running Aces' federal racketeering lawsuit, which alleges tribal operators in the state are operating "illegal" gaming.
The Grand Casino Hinckley, Grand Casino Mille Lacs, and Treasure Island Resort were sued last month by the racino located in Columbus, Minnesota. Running Aces asserts that they provide class III card games including Ultimate Texas Hold'Em and Three Card Poker that aren't protected by their tribal-state gaming compacts.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe owns the Grand Casinos. The Prairie Island Indian Community owns Treasure Island.
Running Aces added the Little Six and Mystic Lake Casinos, which are owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), to an amended complaint that was filed on Tuesday.
"Violation of IGR"
The racino alleges that all five casinos are operating class III card games and "video games of chance," like slots, in violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and state regulations.
According to the rules of their compacts, the state has given the tribes permission to host these events. Following the passage of IGRA in 1988, Minnesota was the first state to enter into compacts with its federally recognized tribes.
Many think that by not negotiating revenue-sharing provisions, lawmakers made a mistake. Without the tribes' consent, the state is not allowed to renegotiate any of these compacts.
According to the lawsuit, the Minnesota criminal code "expressly forbids and makes illegal the playing of electronic video games of chance for any person."
The lawsuit claims that the tribes "know only too well" this. The SMSC opposed to Running Aces' application to the Minnesota Racing Commission to "modestly expand its 'dealer assist' table games," citing the state's ban on "video games of chance."
"No Worth"
In a statement to the local CBS station KSTP-TV, Running Aces president and CEO Taro Ito stated, "All that we have ever sought was to be treated fairly, compete on a level playing field, take advantage of improvements within the pari-mutuel environment, and operate without fear of being eliminated." "We sincerely hope that the facts will decide the matter after we have our day in court."
In a statement to FOX 9, the SMSC rejected the Running Aces complaint as having "no merit" and called it a "desperate stunt to attack the good reputation of tribes and tribal gaming."
"All gaming conducted at Mystic Lake and Little Six Casinos complies with tribal law, federal law, and the gaming compact that was executed in 1989,” read the statement.
According to the SMSC, Running Aces is attempting to "mislead the public and influence the final stages of the Minnesota Legislature's 2024 session" in order to stop a law that would give the tribes a monopoly on sports betting from being passed.