The 1988 federal law says the tribes can only operate casinos if high-stakes gambling is legal in the state and they have a compact with the state. New Mexico tribes have no compact. Garrey Carruthers and Bruce King, asking them to sign compacts legalizing casino gambling. Carruthers' term ends before he can do anything. King, who took office in January 1991, simply refuses.
Bitterness takes root.
Some complain the law should apply equally. Tribes that did not have casinos, that do not ever want casinos, whisper that the gaming tribes are going too far too fast, that they are on the road to handing the state too much power over tribal affairs, that they risk trading their culture for cash. Across the country, other tribal casinos are blossoming. A tiny Connecticut tribe resurrects itself and opens one of the most successful casinos, Indian or non-Indian, in the nation. In other states, tribes are buying land, turning empty fields into shopping centers, starting their own police and fire departments, creating enough jobs for every tribal member who wants one.