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**EXHIBIT 4(a)(6)**

RELEASE

        THIS RELEASE isentered into this 31st day of May, 2002 by and among INTERNATIONALTHUNDERBIRD GAMING CORPORATION, a for-profit Canadian corporation ("ITGC"), itsassignee, THUNDERBIRD GREELEY, INC., a for-profit Colorado corporation("Greeley") and the HOPLAND BAND OF POMO INDIANS ("Tribe or Hopland"), afederally recognized Indian Tribe.

RECITALS

| A. |   | The Viejas Band of Mission Indians ("Viejas")      and ITGC previously entered into various agreements with the Tribe for the      financing, design and construction of a gaming facility on the Tribe's      Hopland Indian Reservation. These agreements includes a (1) Gaming      Hardware Lease Agreement; (2) that certain Limited Recourse Promissory      Note dated as of December 20, 1996, pursuant to which the Tribe promised      to pay ITGC/Viejas Three Million One Hundred Seventy Eight Thousand Eight      Hundred and Eight-two Dollars ($3,178,882.00) ("Note"); (3) a Project      Funding Agreement dated as of June 7, 1996 ("Project Funding Agreement");      (4) a Loan Agreement dated as of June 7, 1996 ("Loan agreement") and (4) a      Settlement Agreement and Release dated December 20, 1996 (documents 1      through 5 shall hereinafter be referred to collectively as the "Enterprise      Financing Documents"); |
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| B. |   | On June 8, 1996 ITGC assigned all of its      right, title and interest in the Project Funding Agreement and the Loan      Agreement ("Loan Agreements") to Greeley. Greeley is a wholly owned      subsidiary of ITGC and as such, the Tribe is demanding that ITGC and      Greeley be made parties to this agreement;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| C. |   | The Tribe has agreed to pay and ITGC has      agreed to accept, as full and complete payment and satisfaction of all      sums due to ITGC as its one-half interest under the Lease for the sum of      Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) ("Pay-off Amount");                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| D. |   | To induce the Tribe to pay ITGC the Pay-off      Amount, the Tribe is requiring that ITGC and Greeley execute a release in      form and substance satisfactory to the Tribe pursuant to which the Tribe      shall be released from any and all obligations to ITGC arising from or      related to the Lease or any of the Enterprise Financing Documents. Nothing      herein shall be construed as a release by Viejas of its interest in the      Gaming Hardware Lease Agreement nor in the Enterprise Financing Documents.      ITGC previously released the Tribe from its one half (1/2) interest in the      Note.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the payment by the  Tribe to ITGC of Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($750,000.00) and the  mutual covenants, conditions and promises contained herein, the receipt and  sufficiency of which as consideration is expressly acknowledged, the parties  agree as follows:

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1.    The entire $750,000 principal shall be  due and payable on the date that the Tribe successfully completes and closes  on its financing for the construction of its permanent casino facility but no  later than July 30, 2002. If such payment is not made by July 30, 2002, then  payments on such principal shall be made as set forth below. 

Hopland may either pay the entire $750,000 over a 15 month  period at the rate of $50,000 per month with no interest charged to such  amount beginning August 1, 2002 or elect to pay the $750,000 with interest at  the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum for a period of 36 months beginning  July 1, 2002. As to the latter election, interest on the unpaid balance of  this shall accrue monthly. The principal and interest shall be paid monthly on  a fully amortized basis beginning August 1, 2002 and continue on the first day  of each month on a monthly basis for thirty-six (36) months in accordance with  the attached amortization schedule. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any  time during the 15 or 36 month pay-off period, Hopland obtains funds from a  third party financing, that includes the amount due ITGC under this Agreement,  then the entire principal then outstanding shall be due and payable.

2.     ITGC, for and on behalf of  themselves and all of their officers, directors, members, owners, attorneys,  agents, representatives, heirs, successors and assigns (individually and  collectively, the "Thunderbird Parties") acknowledges that the payment of the  Pay-off Amount fully satisfies the Tribe's obligations to the Thunderbird  Parties as their one-half interest under the Gaming Hardware Lease Agreement,  notwithstanding any other provisions in the Gaming Hardware Lease Agreement to  the contrary.

3.     ITGC does hereby, jointly and  severally, fully and forever RELEASE, ACQUIT and DISCHARGE the Tribe and each  of the Tribe's officers, directors, members, owners, attorneys, agents,  representatives, heirs, employees, successors and assigns and all others who  may have any interest in the matter herein released (individually and  collectively, the "Released Parties") of and from all obligations, losses,  liability, actions, claims, causes of action, demands, damages, costs and  expenses whatsoever, known or unknown, absolute or contingent, liquidated or  unliquidated, which any of the Thunderbird Parties, jointly or severally, now  have or may have in the future against any of the Released Parties on account  of, arising out of, based upon or related to the Gaming Hardware Lease  Agreement or any of the transactions evidenced or contemplated thereby or  related thereto. 

The parties expressly acknowledge and agree that they have  been advised by their attorneys that the above release waives the benefits of  Sections 1542 of the California Civil Code, which provides:

"A general release does not extend to claims which        the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his favor at the time        of executing the release, which if known by him would have materially        affected his settlement with the debtor."

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As used therein, "debtor" means the Released Parties; and  "creditor" means the Thunderbird Parties. The Thunderbird Parties being aware  of said Section 1542 hereby expressly waive and relinquish any right they, and  each of them, may have thereunder, as well as under any other statutes or  common law principles of similar effect with respect to this Release.

In connection with such Release, the Thunderbird Parties  acknowledge that they are aware that they may hereinafter discover claims,  counterclaims or facts in addition to or different from those which they now  know or believe to exist with respect to the subject matter of this Release,  but it is their intention to fully, finally and forever settle and release all  of the disputes and differences known and unknown, suspected or 

unsuspected, which do now exist, may exist in the future or  have existed arising out of or in connection with the released claims. The  Thunderbird Parties agree that this Release shall remain in effect as a full  and complete release of the released claims notwithstanding the discovery or  existence of any said additional or different claims, counterclaims or facts  arising out of or related to the released claims. The Tribe agrees that this  release does not release any claims made by Viejas arising from the Enterprise  Financing Documents including but not limited to the Note, Gaming Hardware  Machine Lease, or otherwise. 

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4. The provisions of this Release shall inure to the  benefit of and be binding upon the Thunderbird Parties and the Released  Parties. ITGC hereby represents and warrants to the Released Parties that no  person or entity other than the Thunderbird Parties has any right to or  interest in ITGC's one-half interest in the Gaming Hardware Lease Agreement  and that, upon payment of the Pay-off Amount by the Tribe, the only amount  remaining outstanding under the Gaming Hardware Lease Agreement will be the  amount allegedly claimed by Viejas. Each of the Thunderbird Parties hereby  acknowledges and agrees to indemnify and hold each of the Released Parties  harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, costs and expenses,  including court costs, attorneys fees and expert witness fees, arising from  the Tribe paying Thunderbird Parties the Pay-off Amount or any inaccuracy in  the preceding sentence.

5. This Release shall not operate to release any claims the  parties may later have for the enforcement or breach of the obligations  created by this release, including those matters for which the Thunderbird  Parties have agreed to indemnify the Released Parties.

6. Each person executing this Release on behalf of a  Thunderbird Party represents that he or she has the authority to execute this  Release on behalf of his or her respective party and warrants and represents  that he or she has the authority to bind to this Release the party he or she  represents.

7. The parties to this Release shall sign all documents and  do all acts necessary or desirable in the reasonable opinion of the other  party to effect the provisions of this Release.

8. Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity and Dispute  Resolution

Hopland waives its sovereign immunity from unconsented suit as follows: 

a. Limited Consent to Litigation. Hopland does not waive, limit, or  modify its sovereign immunity from unconsented suit except as provided in this  Agreement. 

b. Waiver of Sovereign Immunity. Hopland expressly waives its immunity  from suit or from any action, and consents to be sued first in the United  States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United  States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme  Court for any claims by Thunderbird arising out of this Agreement. In the  event the governing law of the United States of America looks to the law of a  particular state for its content, the law applicable in that instance will be  the laws of the State of California. 

c. Limitation of Waiver of Sovereign Immunity. Hopland's waiver of  immunity from suit is specifically limited to the following actions and  judicial remedies: 

(i) Monetary Damages. The enforcement of an award of money        damages by a court order or judgment and to award to the prevailing        party court costs to enforce the court decision and legal fees incurred        during any subsequent court proceedings to enforce the court judgment.

(ii) Injunctive or Declaratory Relief. The enforcement of a        determination by a court pursuant to this Agreement that mandates the        Tribe to specifically perform any obligation under this Agreement (other        than an obligation to pay money which is provided for above).

(iii) Conditions Precedent to Waiver. The unequivocal and        express limited waiver of sovereign immunity by Hopland contained in        this paragraph is granted if and only if, each and every one of the        following conditions are met: The claim is made by Thunderbird or or        their respective affiliates, and not by any other person, corporation,        partnership, or entity, public or private or governmental whatsoever.        The claim alleges a breach by Hopland or any instrumentality of Hopland        or their respective officers, or its officers, agents, employees or        representatives, of one or more of the representations, covenants,        warranties, undertakings, obligations or duties in this Agreement; and        the claim seeks either: (a) some specific action or discontinuance of        some action by Hopland to bring Hopland into full compliance with the        representations, covenants, warranties, duties and obligations expressly        assumed by Hopland in the transactions contemplated hereby; and/or (b)        money damages.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this  Agreement on the day and year first above written.

Date: May 31, 2002                                                  HOPLAND BAND OF POMO INDIANS                                                                                             /s/ Sandra Sigala                                                                                 By:_______________________________                                                                                 Name: Sandra Sigala                                                                                 Its: Tribal Chairperson 

Date: May 31, 2002                                                  INTERNATIONAL THUNDERBIRD GAMING CORPORATION                                                                                             /s/ Jack R. Mitchell                                                                                 By:_______________________________                                                                                 Name: Jack R. Mitchell                                                                                  Its: President and CEO 

Date: May 31, 2002                                                  THUNDERBIRD GREELEY, INC.                                                                                             /s/ Jack R. Mitchell                                                                                 By:________________________________                                                                                 Name: Jack R. Mitchell                                                                                 Its: President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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