Noisia Records

As online multiplayer becomes increasingly prominent in gaming and works its way into seemingly every genre, a painful quandary has emerged: Too often, online multiplayer modes have become a lonely solitary activity.

I had just purchased a game and blazed through an online co-op mode that I knew would have a limited shelf life.

I admit I was very late to the Castlevania: Harmony of Despair party, purchasing it nearly a year after release when it became discounted as a weekly special on Xbox Live. I fell in love with everything the game had to offer. It reminded of my youth and the many Castlevania games that were close to my heart. There was instant joy in leveling up multiple characters, navigating large maps, discovering treasure chests, and purchasing better items and equipment. Then I hit a brick wall: the higher level map bosses. I was heartbroken when I consulted an online FAQ only to discover the best way to deal with those bosses was via online multiplayer, where players on different parts of the map could assume different roles and perform specific tasks necessary for success. Attempting to do so single-handedly was a monstrous effort full of frustrating deaths and mission restarts.

I decided to jump online, hoping to find a multiplayer queue and tackle these problems with a team of experienced vampire slayers. Problem was, there wasnt a single other player online for Castlevania HD. I tried every night for an entire week and found absolutely nobody. Players had their fun with the game when it launched, explored every nook and cranny the game had to offer and then moved on to a new experience after a few months. To this day, the game still remains unfinished on my Xbox 360 hard drive.

A little bit luck came my way when Castlevania HD was recently released on PlayStation Network, giving me an opportunity to finally clear the game and soak in the fun that all the multiplayer modes have to offer. Sure, I had to purchase it all over again, but I was more concerned with getting in as many online co-op sessions as I could before the community moved on, just like they did on Xbox Live.

I eventually stood back and considered the slight absurdity of what I was doing. I had just purchased a game (one that I had already owned on another platform) and blazed through an online co-op mode that I knew would have a limited shelf life. I had willingly purchased a game that would be unplayable in a few months time.

The problem with Castlevania HD is that it integrated multiplayer gameplay into the core of the game, making co-op a necessity for completion. But Castlevania HD is not the only offender in this case; an increasing number of primarily single-player games have tacked-on multiplayer and online co-op modes that becomes obsolete months after release.

continued on page 2

LONDON, March 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Pacific Interactive has done it again with their debut of three new interactive slot machines for their wildly successful social gaming app, House of Fun. The initial response from online gamers was an overwhelming one, with over 700,000 users in the first month.

In less than five months, House of Fun has nearly doubled in monthly active users, with over 1.3 million users playing the interactive casino game on a regular basis. The success of this social gaming app can be attributed to the dedication of Pacific Interactive to introduce new, exciting games with a unique interactive format to social media users.

Pacific Interactive has added three brand new games to their social gaming app, House of Fun: Bug Mania, Secret of the Nile and Roller Girl. With a total of 19 different slots, House of Fun has a game that will appeal to everyone.

“We are thrilled with the amount of success we have seen with House of Fun. Our goal is to bring new and exciting games to our users, and we strive to offer them the best online gaming experience possible. We pride ourselves on our original concepts, striking graphics and ability to create a game where the player actually interacts with the game instead of merely going through the motions,” said the CEO and Founder of Pacific Interactive (
http://www.pacific-interactive.net/ ).

The success of House of Fun is growing at a steady rate of 120,000 new users a month, with no signs of slowing down. Players can access the interactive casino game at
http://apps.facebook.com/houseoffun/ , where they can experience all three of the newest additions to the game, Bug Mania, Secret of the Nile and Roller Girl.

About Pacific Interactive:

Pacific Interactive is comprised of experienced gaming industry professionals, committed to providing players with an unrivaled social gaming experience. With a number of game options available, players will be impressed with the crisp, colorful graphics, as well as the varied interactive play. House of Fun is the developer’s latest endeavor, which is available on social media sites like Facebook.

SOURCE Pacific Interactive

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

By Roderick D. Wright
6 pm, March 24, 2012

Also see raquo;

• I live in San Diego and I am Trayvon Martin

• Pigs and military: Live-tissue training makes difference in readiness

• Pigs and military: Medical training using animals does not save lives

Also of interest

• ONLINE GAMING ALREADY HAPPENING
• Nev. regulators OK Caesars tie to online casino
• Lawmaker makes push for legal online gambling
• Lawmaker makes push for legal online gambling
• NJ Gov. Christie vetoes Internet gambling bill

The new iPad, third generation, iPad 3, whatever you call it, is a serious gaming machine. For some games, it even rivals a console like the PlayStation 3. Were going to see more and more gaming done on the iPad in the months to come. And were going to like it.

In fact, I think this new iPad is going to replace game consoles. Heres why:

Due to some unexpected monies in my hot little hands this past month, I was able to acquire a PlayStation Vita portable gaming device from Sony. Id sworn off dedicated gaming devices (you can read the previous link on your own), so suffice it to say I took some ribbing from my gaming friends for the purchase.

The touchscreen on the thing is fantastic, while the app icons are very iOS-inspired. My first impression? Its an iPhone with buttons. Sweet! Of course, Id heard all the griping online about how the touchscreen, front and back, was merely a gimmick to bring smartphone gamers back to the warm embrace of a Sony-created handheld device. Im sure that was part of it, but not all. The touchscreen, especially the front, makes navigating menus, buttons, and typing super simple and intuitive. Which in turn makes the PS Vita more accessible to gaming newbies. Just like the iPad, right?

I also picked up a game called Escape Plan that makes extensive use of the touchscreen. A game that looks a lot like the iOS game Numberlys, at least in the art and character design arena. This is a game that is expressly designed for the touchscreen, as mentioned on the splash-screen when the game starts up. Wait, what?

Escape Plan, selling for $15, is essentially a touchscreen experience that plays so much like an iPhone game that I keep wondering why its not on iOS. Granted, there is a a rear touchpad mechanic that wouldnt work as is on the iPhone or iPad, but still. Its hard not to compare the two systems and wonder whether its worth buying a very expensive handheld gaming system and a $15 game that otherwise might start at around $2.99 on the Apple App Store.

Lets also remember that the iPad has the very same graphic chip the Vita has. The. Very. Same. Chip. How does that not impress gamers? There arent buttons on the iPad, I get that. Some games really do work better with analog sticks and physical buttons that we need to find by feel so we can concentrate on things happening on the screen. Right, yes, OK. But for games that dont require that? The iPad is an incredibly fantastic gaming machine in its own right.

Journey (pictured at top in a theoretical image), by Thatgamecompany, came out for $15 on the PlayStation 3. Its a downloadable game, the same as Escape Plan above, and every other iOS game out there. Its a brilliant, incredible, emotionally engaging experience with beautiful art design and heart-achingly affecting music. A friend of mine called it a cinematic experience, and while I disagree with that for more technical reasons, I think its a valid descriptor most non-gaming folks would identify with.

But, I told that very same friend, Journey could very well be played on an iPad. Especially the new iPad. And, if the big screen TV and surround sound system is really the point of the game (and I dont believe it is not entirely), then remember that the new iPad can stream anything to the new AppleTV in 1080p. Do we need a button-laden controller? No! Journey is a one-button game, with some tilt for camera action. Isnt the iPad the perfect fit for that?

Bottom line here: Do all the games we play truly require a controller and a console? Cant the iPad that I buy for work and checking email and web surfing on the go also become my home console for many of these games? How about if we look at any number of currently available and future-planned peripheral joysticks and controllers for the iPad? Lets imagine a scenario in which Im playing a game like Journey via a console-style controller that connects to my iPad via Bluetooth, streaming a game in 1080p to my giant HDTV. Wait, we dont even have to imagine that (except maybe the Bluetooth bit) at all. It can happen now.

The new iPad (and iOS in general, really) is for gaming. Plain and simple. I believe more people are going to see that, and the days of a robust, high-end, dedicated handheld market, as it stands today, are numbered. As are, perhaps farther in the future, the days of the console market. Heresy!

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Feel free to disagree entirely as long as youre nice about it.

Last week, at an event in New Delhi, Creative announced the launch of new headsets and sound cards targeted at a higher gradient segment of the market

The Sound Processor
Joining ranks with the steadily rising files of sound processors available for both consoles and computers, the Sound Blaster Recon 3D is powered by the Sound Core3D quad-core sound and voice processor. This USB audio enhancer delivers gaming audio to your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC or Mac. The hardware accelerated THX TruStudio Pro and Dolby Digital decoding, the Sound Blaster Recon3D enhances even basic stereo sound into 3D surround audio on headset or speakers. The device has a proprietary Scout Mode that enhances the audio in gaming to a level that lets you hear you enemy’s footsteps even before they appear on screen adding to a realistic 360-degree audio effect. Priced at Rs 9,999, though, all this quality does come at a price.

The Headphones
Three headphones, the Sound Blaster Tactic3D Wrath, the Creative Draco HS-850 and the Creative Draco HS-430, priced at Rs 11,999, Rs 3,999 and Rs 1,999, were announced. While these represent a more widespread gradient of the market, Creative claims that even the cheapest of the lot is no pushover. The Draco HS-430 boasts extremely lightweight construction and a detachable active noise-cancelling microphone. The Sound Blaster Tactic3D Wrath boasts of delivering THX TruStudio Pro audio wirelessly. The device has illuminated ear cups housing 50mm FullSpectrum Speakers, a removable microphone, integrated volume and mute controls, and uncompressed wireless technology delivering THX TruStudio Pro-enhanced audio on your PC or Mac. The Draco HS-850 falls somewhere in the middle and is perhaps the best of both worlds.

The Sound Cards
Along with these, Creative also launched three sound cards: the Sound Blaster Recon3D PCIe, the Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatality Professional and the Sound Blaster Recon3D Fatality Champion. The three soundcards are priced at Rs 7,999, Rs 11,999 and Rs 14,999 respectively, and extremely premium stuff. We haven’t got our hands on them, so we really can’t comment any further.

DEADWOOD, SD – The store signs of this Old West village are drawn with a typeface reminiscent of Wanted: Dead or Alive posters. The streets are paved with bricks that evoke the dusty 1800s.

But dont be fooled. The streets are new. So are the signs. And that quaint trolley that just rolled down Main Street? Yep, thats new, too.

Deadwood, a town of 1,300 born in a gold rush, has more in common these days with modern Las Vegas than with the famous historical figures who lived and died here, such as Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. The giveaway is inside the buildings, where gamblers gather around shiny slot machines and felt-covered poker tables.

Now Deadwood is confronting another challenge: How to keep its rough-and-tumble aesthetics while still offering the comfort, convenience and profitability of a 21st century gambling spot that draws 2 million tourists each year.

Gambling was always meant to benefit historic preservation here. From the get-go, that was the No. 1 goal, said Kevin Kuchenbecker, Deadwoods historic preservation officer. Preservation is never-ending. Its ongoing. Deadwood was a dying community, and gaming brought it back.

Larry Eliason, executive secretary for the South Dakota Commission on Gaming, said Deadwood has to look vintage from the outside in keeping with the citys historic past. But inside, all bets are off.

In a licensed casino, the managers want to have the most modern gambling equipment they can afford to buy, Eliason said.

Less than a quarter-century ago, this place was on the verge of becoming a ghost town. The buildings were old and falling apart, and the city had too few residents to raise the tax money needed for repairs. Then gambling returned. Todays Deadwood is part Vegas, part Tombstone, Ariz. It only pretends to be old, like a pair of designer jeans with holes already in them.

State officials want to ensure that the towns popularity doesnt wane, so they are increasing gambling limits from $100 to $1,000. Its only the second time the limit has been increased since gambling was re-legalized in 1989. The change takes effect July 1.

Officials wont venture to guess how much money the increase will bring, but the last time the limit went up – from $5 to $100 in 2000 – the casinos collected $14 million more in revenues in the following two years.

We have more competition now in our surrounding states, said Republican state Sen. Tom Nelson, citing casinos in Colorado, which permits roulette and craps, and North Dakota and Minnesota, which have higher betting limits at $250 and $1,000, respectively. Iowa also has gambling, with no betting limit.

Lawmakers testified in Pierre last month that raising the limit could attract worldwide poker tournaments and deep-pocketed professional players.

But residents, while hopeful that the increased limit will bring more tourists, dont want it to come at the price of authenticity.

When we first got here, Deadwood was pretty much a shambles of a town, said Andy Smith, who has lived with his wife in the Black Hills near Deadwood for nearly 30 years.

The couple left Springfield, Ohio, in 1983 to walk across the country. They ran out of money in South Dakota, and though they finished their transcontinental journey to California in 1984, something about the history and the forests drew them back to the Deadwood area.

Back then, the downtown was a series of vacant, dilapidated buildings, except for a military surplus store and the No. 10 Saloon – famous as the spot where Hickok was shot in the back of the head while playing poker.

It was pretty decrepit, Smith recalled.

Thats when a group called Deadwood YouBet began lobbying to restore gambling, which had long been banned to clean up the towns gritty image and keep the peace.

In a complicated formula, most of the gambling profits were funneled to historic preservation, though some money was also diverted to the states general fund, school districts and the tourism department. After the first full year of gambling, in 1990, gross revenue skyrocketed from about $29 million to $106 million in 2010.

Kuchenbecker, the historic preservation officer, said the money resurrected the town. The asphalt streets returned to old-fashioned brick. The green-and-yellow trolleys gave 50-cent tours. Deadwood now spends $7 million a year to keep its buildings aesthetically authentic and structurally sound.

Grant programs helped historic preservation beyond Deadwood, too – South Dakota towns such as Buffalo Gap, Hitchcock, Spearfish and Sioux Falls also benefited.

In addition, the money funded archaeology projects. The citys former Chinatown, where Chinese immigrants clustered in the late 1800s, has yielded some 400,000 artifacts in four years of digging, Kuckenbecker said.

But not everything post-gambling has been golden.

When it first started, we thought it was pretty crappy. There were slot machines in the grocery stores and just everywhere. It was tacky, Smith recalled. Youd walk into a place, and thered just be these brain-dead people smoking and dropping coins into the slots.

Then the improvements began. The money started sprucing up Deadwood by dressing it down. And even more life was breathed into the town after HBO produced a Western series named after the town. The foul-mouthed and critically acclaimed show was set in Deadwood after Hickoks death.

The show contributed to a $30 million increase in gambling revenues during three seasons that aired from 2004 to 2006. In 2007, revenue surpassed $100 million.

But lawmakers got nervous when 2011 tallies showed a $6 million dip from the previous year. Legislators worried that the recession and the states recent ban on public smoking were going to take a long-term toll.

Theres a direct flight from Sioux Falls to Las Vegas, so, really, we compete with Vegas, too, Nelson said.

House Majority Whip Charlie Hoffman said he favored the betting limit increase because it would encourage high-stakes players to blow their money in Deadwood.

Smith hopes so, too – to an extent. Money in Deadwood has meant more jobs and more opportunities. In the summers, the downtown bustles with visitors gathering for outdoor concerts and antique auto shows. There are more restaurants than the Smiths ever envisioned when they arrived.

But, he said, the prosperity comes at a cost.

Its a fantasy, and what they want to do is create an image. I think theyve done a good job overall, Smith said. But having more people always creates a little more conflict. I hope they can keep things balanced.

Since its inception in 2004, the Penny Arcade Expo has grown to become one of the largest annual celebrations of gaming in the United States, if not the world. For its third year running, PAX East will be returning to Boston, Massachusetts, April 6-8, with a host of musical guests, live programming, and more.

For those not lucky enough to attend in person, be sure to return to GameSpot and Giant Bomb for event coverage of everything from the panels to the games and everything in between.

If you are able to make it though, dont forget to join our own Danny ODwyer on Friday 4/6 at 5:30pm in the Arachnid Theatre as he does a live episode of Escape From Mount Stupid (full details), or the Giant Bomb crew on Saturday 4/7 at 9:00pm in the Manticore Theatre for their traditional Boston tradition of a Giant Bomb panel (more full details)!

HITACHI, Japan, Mar 09, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Kinbasha Gaming International, Inc. (the “Company”) ,
owner and operator of retail gaming centers in Japan, today announced a
reverse split of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock on a
one-for-twelve (1:12) ratio (the “Reverse Split”) which will be
effective on or about Tuesday, March 13, 2012.

The Reverse Split reduces the number of outstanding shares of common
stock from approximately 92,972,381 shares to approximately 7,747,699
shares. The Reverse Split will not have any effect on the percentage
ownership of holders of the Company’s common stock. The Company’s shares
will trade under the symbol “KNBAD” with a “D” added for 20 trading days
after the reverse split is accomplished, to signify that the reverse
stock split has occurred. A new CUSIP number has been assigned to the
Company’s common stock as a result of the reverse split.

“We are pleased to make this announcement as we seek to improve the
marketability and liquidity of Kinbasha’s common stock and increase our
potential viability as an investment opportunity,” said Masatoshi
Takahama, Chief Executive Officer. “Specifically, we believe the higher
split-adjusted stock price will make it easier to effect transactions in
our stock, broaden our potential audience and shareholder base and
ultimately enhance our valuation. As we grow our operations in Japan,
this decision will also help better position Kinbasha for our long-term
goal of applying for a listing on a senior exchange such as NASDAQ or
NYSE Amex, as soon as we meet the listing requirements.”

Shareholders whose shares are held in their brokerage accounts will have
their ownership position adjusted automatically, without taking any
further action. Shareholders who are currently holding common share
certificates in paper form should note on the certificate the
“post-split” number of common shares represented by the certificate. To
get this number, take the face amount of the shares on the certificate
and divide by 12. If the result has a fraction of a share, round up to
one full share.

Investors can opt to send their certificates into the transfer agent and
have new certificates reissued, but the transfer agent will charge a
small fee for this exchange. Shareholders are welcome to contact the
transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Co., at: 212-509-4000
ext. 206, or by e-mail at: cstmail@continentalstock.com.

In all cases the transfer agent will adjust the Company’s shareholders
records to reflect the Reverse Split and the resulting number of
post-split shares by each shareholder.

About Kinbasha Gaming International, Inc.

Kinbasha Gaming International, Inc. is a Florida corporation that
acquired its operating subsidiary, Kinbasha Co., Ltd. (“Kinbasha”),
through a reverse merger in January 2011. Based in Hitachi City, Japan,
Kinbasha is a retail gaming company with plans for expansion in Japan’s
gaming and food and beverage industries. Founded in 1957, currently
Kinbasha’s principal business is the ownership and operation of retail
gaming establishments in Japan which offer customers the opportunity to
play the game of chance known as Pachinko. Pachinko is played on a
device which resembles a slot machine. Kinbasha currently employs over
1,000 people and owns 21 Pachinko Parlors in the prefectures of Chiba,
Ibaraki and Tokyo. In addition, the company also owns three mid-size
restaurants in Japan which offer traditional Japanese cuisine.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” relating to
the business of the Company and its subsidiary companies. All
statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are
“forward-looking statements” including statements regarding: the
Company’s business and operations; business strategy, plans and
objectives of the Company and its subsidiaries; and any other statements
of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are
often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as
“believes,” “expects” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the
expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are
reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and
these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those
discussed in the Company’s periodic reports that are filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (
http://www.sec.gov ).
All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons
acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these
factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company
does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Kinbasha Gaming International, Inc.

Trilogy Capital Partners – Asia
Darren Minton, President
Toll-free: 800-592-6067
info@trilogy-capital.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

The gaming industry spent the week before New Years Eve planning one of the biggest nights of any casinos year. But in between the stage building, countdown practicing, and cage stocking, casino executives found time to set in motion some big changes for 2012. New year, new start, new record, new name, new deals, new rooms. Of course, most of it is the same old, same old.

New Revenue Record for Macau

OK, so there isnt really anything new about Macau raking in the patacas, but another year end means another annual revenue record for gamings golden goose. Macau casinos brought in 268 billion patacas ($33.5 billion) in gross gaming revenue in 2011, a 42 percent increase over 2010. Year-over-year December revenue grew 25 percent according to the Chinese Special Administrative Regions Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Macau pulled in about 5.5 times the gaming revenue of Las Vegas.

Although it sounds like enough dough to make it rain like a hurricane, gaming stocks have felt the effects of fear that growth is slowing down to parallel a slowdown in the Chinese economy. Next years success depends on Chinese whales being able to get credit lines to invest in the baccarat tables.

Bloomberg and the Las Vegas Review-Journal have more on the story.

New Owner for Social Gaming Company Playtika

Caesars Entertainment Corp. bought 51 percent of social gaming program developer Playtika in May, and after months of testing the waters, last week, Caesars acquired the other 49 percent. The Israeli gaming technology company created Slotomania, the most popular slots game on Facebook, with about 10 million monthly users. Caesars paid between $80 and $90 million for the first half of the company and the right to purchase the other half at a later date.

2012 is going to be a very big year for Playtika…we will concentrate on Playtikas competitive advantage and on widening its activity on social networks other than Facebook, said Mitch Gerber, CEO of Caesars Interactive. Caesars Interactive and Playtika will be focusing on Asia in the upcoming year.

Playtikas investors include 888 Holdings Plc CEO Gigi Levy. Caesars partnered with 888 to operate its online gaming sites in March.

Games Blog has details on the latest sale, and Israeli site Globes offers interesting insight into the May deal.

New Name and Management Structure for Las Vegas Hilton

On Jan. 3, the Las Vegas Hilton officially became the LVH-Las Vegas Hotel amp; Casino. The hotels licensing deal with Hilton Worldwide ran out at the end of the year, and the international hotel chain declined to renew it. Check out previous Inside Gaming stories on the need for the name change here and here.

LVH, owned by Colony Capital LLC, was foreclosed on by primary lenders Goldman Sachs Mortgage Company and Gramercy Capital Corp. Goldman Sachs has owned The Stratosphere, a neighboring casino on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, since 2008 and will take control of LVH by the end of January. Ronald Johnson was appointed to oversee the hotel operations last month but now is set to take control of the entire property, including the casino.

LVRJ breaks down the name change and the new management.

New Applicant for NV Gaming License

Aristocrat Technologies Inc. added its name to the list of companies to apply for a license to offer real money online poker in Nevada. Aristocrat is the sixth company to apply to be a licensed platform provider. One casino, South Point, has applied to be an online gaming site operator. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved new regulations that allow for licensing on Dec. 22.

Aristocrat, a subsidiary of Australian company Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., joins International Game Technology, Cantor Gaming, Shuffle Master, Ballys Technology, and Caesars Entertainment in applying for a provider license. Approvals are expected in the next three months.

Aristocrat CEO Nick Khin said the companys platform allows our clients to market a virtual casino to its customers to play for free. When the law changes it will allow them to move into a play for real-money site.

Learn more at Casino City Times.

New Rooms for Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace opened its much anticipated Octavius Tower on Monday, adding 668 luxury rooms to the casinos existing 3,300 rooms and suites. After pressing pause on the boutique hotel tower for three years during the economic downturn, Caesars Entertainment resumed construction and started taking reservations for the 19-story tower in September. Rooms in January range from $325 to $789 a night.

For a quick tour, watch this video from KTNV.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

_{*Photo courtesy of blog.vegas.com}

Follow Elissa Harwood on

2. The giving back spirit of the Coeur dAlene Tribe, as well
as the Nez Perce and the Kalispells, is commendable. That there
are unanswered questions is not meant to impugn motives or demean
their civic mindedness or their significant job-generation in North
Idahos economy.

3. The Gallatin Group, a regional public affairs firm I
co-founded in 1989 (two of its five offices are in Spokane and
Boise) performed limited work for the Coeur dAlene Tribe three
times in the last 10 years. I have neither financial interest in
nor any ties to Gallatin since retiring several years ago. While a
senior partner I participated in the firm hiring Heather Keen, who
just recently became the Coeur dAlene Tribal communications
director.

Late last month readers of the Coeur dAlene Press and the
Spokesman-Review may have seen full-page ads taken out by the Coeur
dAlene Tribe claiming they had kept the promise made to voters in
1992 to give back 5 percent of the annual gaming net revenues to
the support of education.

Yes and No. Yes, they have contributed $17 million by their
account but it is misleading to say it all falls under the rubric
of education. It stretches credulity to see where funds donated to
the Kroc Center or to Mark Fews Coaches vs. Cancer annual fund
drive complies with initiative language that pledged the 5 percent
would go to support education in surrounding school districts.
Money listed for Gonzaga, for example, includes the annual payment
for the Tribes private box at McCarthy Arena.

One has to know the background. Scrutiny of the tribal pledge by
both the Coeur dAlene Press and the St. Maries Gazette-Record
earlier in 2011 led to stories that raised legitimate doubts as to
whether the Tribe had kept to its pledge. Other issues came to the
forefront as these papers continued to investigate the matter.

Most of these questions remain unanswered and still merit
answering. Among them are:

1. Is the state of Idaho as represented by the Lottery
Commissions executive director really exercising a monitoring role
as envisioned by the initiative? Or, as appears to the case just
taking the Tribes word it is in compliance?

2. Why, after first claiming it had no obligation to open its
books, did the Coeur dAlene Tribe provide the Spokesman exclusive
access to their contribution records in an effort to convince the
public they had kept their pledge? And why did the Spokesman take
as gospel a list of all charitable contributions being a legitimate
fulfillment of the pledge to donate to educational programs and
districts in the surrounding area?

3. The Spokesman has long championed full disclosure of
governmental records and strongly supported the publics right to
know as trumping all other interests. Why in this instance do they
appear to be supporting a tribal claim to be able to withhold
information regarding gaming proceeds?

4. Why should the public or the media take the Tribes word on
the 5 percent return absent a verification by an outside
independent auditing firm of just what each years annual net
revenues are? Trust but verify President Reagan once said. Wheres
the outside, independent verification?

5. Does a tribes gaming compact with a governor trump state law
whether passed by a Legislature or by the voters through an
initiative process? This question is relevant because the Sho-Bans
in southern Idaho make no pretense of giving back 5 percent as
mandated by the voter initiative. They claim their compact with the
state, which makes no mention of a 5 percent return, takes
precedence. Does it? Should it?

Questions and issues like these will persist as long as the
media and others blindly buy into the partially false claim tribes
always make regarding their alleged sovereign nation status. The
correct term as recognized by the US Supreme Court is
quasi-sovereign. Historical fact and judicial precedence have
made clear that tribe treaties are still subject to Congressional
plenary authority, which means Congress could if it wanted
extinguish every single treaty.

Likewise, the Supreme Court made clear in a 6-2 ruling in 1978
in the case of Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe that tribes have
no criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians. The bottom line is we
are all, non-Native Americans as well as Native Americans, citizens
of the United States first, and citizens of a state second, and the
laws of the United States and the laws of a state should apply
equally to all across the board.

A native of Kellogg, a former teacher, journalist and press
secretary to Gov. Cecil Andrus, Chris Carlson writes from his
retirement home near Medimont in North Idaho.