The Poarch Band of Creek Indians
has tried to persuade Alabama politicians to sit down and discuss a compact with the tribe.
Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal Council Vice Chairman Robert McGhee said that the tribe opposes allowing slot machines and casino table games at the state’s four greyhound tracks, including the one the tribe owns.
The tribe would not offer casino games at the Mobile Greyhound Park, even if voters approved a constitutional amendment, because it would draw customers from the tribe’s Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, which has electronic bingo.
The tribe also considered offering the state a $250 million loan or payment to help cover the state’s budget shortfall, as it believes that casinos at the dog tracks would change the landscape of Alabama for insignificant amount of money.
“We think we have a better approach, one that we hope we have the opportunity to be heard and to sit down and discuss before we go down this road that we might not be able to get back from,” McGhee said. We have always wanted to work with the state on what is the best partnership for these two governments.”
The tribe has also expressed interest in getting a north Alabama site that could lure lucrative traffic from neighboring states.
