Buffalo Thunder casino turns off slots

The New Mexico facility decided to turn off 30 slots after the governor threatened to invalidate licenses.

US.- Buffalo Thunder Resort And Casino decided to turn off 30 slot machines after the office of the New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez said that she would invalidate licenses from the operators that provide those machines.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Pojoaque Pueblo, the tribe that owns the casino, shut down the gambling machines because the firms behind the slots fear that they could face fines from the state Gaming Control Board. Pojoaque Pueblo Governor Joe Talachy said that the casino is operating without a gambling compact packed with the state, as it is required by a federal law. As the compact they had with the state expired two years ago, the authorities of the tribe believe that revenue-sharing should be illegal.

Even if the 30 slots machines are insignificant compared to the 1200 that the casino resort offers, Talachy said that this action is very painful for them. “We’re stuck between a rock and hard place,” he said. A District Judge from Albuquerque established last month that it was okay for the state control board to take action against the companies that provide slots to the tribe’s two casinos, and thats why they decided to shut them down.

Although they took measures to comply with the order, the president of the tribe said that they got an order from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver that automatically sets the previous ruling on hold pending approval. “We’re fighting for every other tribe in this country,” he added.