15 years after state officials signed gaming compacts with Minnesota's Indian tribes, 18 casinos have been built. They generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, far more than anyone imagined they would. The state of Minnesota gets only a small sliver of that money and it's used to regulate the casinos.
While Minnesota's contract with the tribes is permanent…with no expiration or renegotiation, Governor Pawlenty has hinted it's time for a change. Tribal leaders say they're not sure what that means, but are not interested in renegotiating and don't want to share revenues with the state.