A three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati recently ruled that the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians can move forward with its plans to build an off-reservation casino in downtown Lansing. Overturning a lower court’s ruling that essentially froze the project, the federal appeals court stated that a federal district judge in Grand Rapids erred in granting the state an injunction because it “lacked jurisdiction” and based its ruling on “contingent future events that may never occur.”
The Sault tribe now can proceed with its application to the U.S. Department of the
Interior to have land it bought from the city of Lansing taken into trust for gaming. The $245 million Kewadin Lansing would offer a 125,000-square-foot casino and create 700 construction and 1,500 permanent jobs. A portion of gaming revenue would help fund a scholarship for Lansing high school students.
Tribal Chairman Aaron Payment said, “The ruling is a victory for the Sault tribe and the people of Lansing. While our patience and perseverance have been rewarded, two things are certain: We will now move expeditiously to file our trust application with the federal government to open the casino, and this project will continue to face legal and other challenges that will seek to delay and block it. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, and we will continue to pursue and defend our legal rights.”
The appeals panel noted its ruling does not prevent the state from suing to block the Lansing casino. Also, the judges said the state does not “have to wait until such gaming is already occurring” to file suit.
