First Nations seek more control of gambling By: Jessica Botelho-Urbanski and Larry Kusch Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019

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This article was published 30/10/2019 (1884 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs hopes for a reset in its relationship with the Pallister government on gaming, arguing the province hasn’t worked collaboratively with them in recent years.

After a two-day conference this week, AMC members directed Grand Chief Arlen Dumas to renew their focus on First Nations gaming, including strategy and revenue-sharing.

“It seems as though over time, some of the provincial representatives took liberties with that relationship and they went off and willy-nilly did things on their own without involving the First Nations. So we need to address that,” Dumas said in an interview.

Dumas said some chiefs have told him their communities are stymied due to a planned provincial gaming review that’s interrupted any new business negotiations with Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.

In last November’s throne speech, the provincial government said it would undertake a review of the provincial gaming system, which it hasn’t officially started yet.

“Some of our communities have long-term plans as to how they want to provide for their people and when the provincial gaming people are not working in a collaborative or in a meaningful way, then it is impacting all of our communities,” Dumas said.

The grand chief also raised the issue of VLT-revenue sharing as a point of contention among members.

Currently, most First Nations have a 90-10 revenue-sharing agreement negotiated with the province where they obtain 90 per cent of VLT revenues and the province collects 10 per cent. Dumas said some chiefs want more transparency on where the province’s cash share is going and others would like to see First Nations retain all the revenue, since they operate and maintain the machines.

Dumas said he’s reached out to provincial ministers to discuss the chiefs’ gaming concerns and he had a brief conversation with Premier Brian Pallister at a Winnipeg Metropolitan Region luncheon Thursday. He hopes to sit down with members of government next week.

“Over the past two years, many of our nations have made numerous attempts at working collaboratively with the provincial government in regards to their agreements and there seems to be an impasse,” he said. “And so the assembly will stand by our chiefs and our nations and we will pursue all options that are available.”

Asked whether legal action against the provincial government was being considered, Dumas said “anything is possible.”

Premier Brian Pallister said he’s committed to making sure the government moves forward co-operatively with First Nations on future gaming.

“I think we need to work together and I think that’s what we’ve been doing. I’ve had significant and frequent meetings with Indigenous leadership in our province — as recently as today, informally,” Pallister said.

Asked about the prospect of First Nations setting up their own gaming authority to establish control over the industry, the premier said: “Well, there’s more money for lawyers I guess, sadly.”

Pallister said the provincial review of the gaming industry will be launched in due course.

“We have to all benefit from the way we do gaming in the province,” he said. “So we’ll continue to pursue that without fear or favour.”

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

Larry Kusch
Legislature reporter

Larry Kusch didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life until he attended a high school newspaper editor’s workshop in Regina in the summer of 1969 and listened to a university student speak glowingly about the journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa.

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