New Kent county discusses casinos without tribes
County officials have arranged a meeting to discuss casinos and horse racing in the state but didn’t invite the Pamunkey Indian Tribe.
US.- New Kent County, Virginia, is set to discuss casinos and horse racing in the area this Thursday and officials arranged a meeting to get residents to hear from the industry. However, they didn’t invite the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, which may soon build a casino in the county.
The tribe’s leader had recently announced that they were interested in opening a US$700 million casino resort in New Kent. It would have to compete with the upcoming Colonial Downs casino, which is set to open next year, something that will be discussed at the meeting.
Attendees at the New Kent town hall won’t be able to hear the tribe but will hear a presentation from a Minnesota-based law firm that specialises in Indian gaming issues.
New Kent Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas W. Evelyn explained that the leaders wanted to hire independent experts to assess the situation.
Pamunkey Chief Robert Gray said that no members of the tribe would attend the meeting after not being invited. “We have had multiple conversations with New Kent County administration officials over the past several months, including an in-person meeting with me, regarding this project,” he added.
