Executives of two Minnesota tribal casinos are urging a federal district court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a commercial casino and horse racetrack operator. The lawsuit, which accuses the tribal casinos of unlawfully dominating the state’s gambling market, faces new legal arguments bolstered by a recent Ninth Circuit decision. The tribal casino executives argue that the ruling supports the dismissal of the case.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell, attorneys for the Grand Casino Hinckley and Grand Casino Mille Lacs executives referenced a Dec. 13, 2024, Ninth Circuit ruling that upheld the dismissal of a similar challenge. The decision in the Maverick Gaming LLC case found that a tribe’s sovereign immunity prevented a commercial casino from joining the lawsuit. The attorneys argue that the same reasoning should apply to the current case, as it involves the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and other Minnesota tribes that have a legally protected interest in maintaining their gaming compacts.
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