Law Commons^™

When The Chips Are Down: Do Indian Tribes With Insolvent Gaming Operations Have The Ability To File For Bankruptcy Under The Federal Bankruptcy Code?, Corina Rocha Pandeli

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

Indian gaming has become increasingly popular in the United States, with casino and resort facilities on federally recognized Indian land rivaling the likes of Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos. Since the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (“IGRA”), gaming activities on Indian reservations across the country have skyrocketed, providing a substantive source of revenue to once economically downtrodden tribes. The IGRA places Indian tribes involved in gaming operations in a unique position because it affords them federal protection and oversight with respect to gaming operations, whereas state law regulates private gaming operations. In a relatively short …

Not Out Of The (Fox)Woods Yet: Indian Gaming And The Bankruptcy Code, Emir Aly Crowne, Andrew Black, S. Alex Constantin

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

The recent economic downturn has caused Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the largest casinos in the world, to seek a restructuring of nearly $1.5 billion in debt. Ordinarily, bankruptcy proceedings are triggered when a typical commercial enterprise defaults on its debt. Under these proceedings, creditors step in and collect monies owed to them before any residual equity is dispersed amongst owners. The rub here is that Foxwoods is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Western Pequot Tribal Nation, a sovereign nation under U.S. federal law. This triggers questions of paramountcy; namely, whether tribunal sovereignty can trump federal bankruptcy law.

These …