Lloydminster casino vote delayed
Not enough delegates for decision
WHITECAP DAKOTA FIRST NATION — No decision was made Thursday on a massive Lloydminster casino and hotel, because there weren’t enough Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations assembly delegates left to hold a vote.
The vote will now likely take place at the next FSIN meetings in December.
Little Pine First Nation Chief Wayne Semaganis attended the FSIN assembly, held at the Dakota Dunes Casino south of Saskatoon, to ask for support for the project. He has plans to build a casino complete with sports betting, 800 slot machines, a 200-room hotel and a 1,500seat convention centre in the border city.
The proposal was controversial as Semaganis wanted FSIN approval for Little Pine to be the sole owners. All six First Nations casinos in the province are under the control of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, and share revenue with all bands.
The assembly ran into the evening Thursday, after more than a dozen speakers exceeded the allotted five-minute speaking limit on other topics ranging from education to treaties.
Around 7 p.m., the casino item finally came up for debate. Several chiefs gave impassioned pleas on both sides of the issue.
“With your support, I can make a success for our people in Lloydminster,” Semaganis said.
Others, such as Shoal Lake First Nation Chief Marcel Head, opposed the move, saying casino revenue should continue to be shared equally among Saskatchewan First Nations.
Others, such as Onion Lake Cree Nation Chief Wallace Fox and Thunderchild Cree Nation Chief Delbert Wapass, obtained amendments to have their bands included in the proposal. By 7:30 p.m., it became clear that too many delegates had left, and the vote was called off.
If the vote passes in December, it’s unclear whether the province will approve amendments to the current gambling agreement.
“If, for some reason, the FSIN wanted to change that and allow another operator, they would need to approach the province to amend” the Gaming Framework Agreement, government spokeswoman Lisa Danyluk said in an email. “The provincial government has not received any proposals from the FSIN regarding a casino in Lloydminster.”