US Supreme Court may hear wonky slots case, debate tribal sovereignty

Supreme-Court-Tribal-SovereigntyEver since an Albuquerque man was denied an apparent $1.6M jackpot promised to him by a malfunctioning slot machine at the Sandia Casino in New Mexico, his lawyers have been trying to sue the Sandia Pueblo native American tribe to recover the phantom payout. The case has been rejected by every court that’s heard it, but now his lawyers are petitioning the US Supreme Court to remove the umbrella of tribal sovereignty from their casino businesses. While we wait with baited breath to learn if the Supremes will hear the case, we’re also trying to find out if this slots player who keeps underestimating the tribe’s determination is any relation to George Armstrong Custer. Read more.