U.S. Magistrate Thomas Thalken has decided to let Nebraska determine the range of gambling games offered at the casino operated by the Santee Sioux Tribe. Nebraska wants to keep the ban on table games such as roulette and blackjack, which are not allowed in other arenas in Nebraska.
The tribe argues that many charitable organizations run casino nights with roulette and other wheel games, but the Interior Department said that charity nights and promotions are not the same as casino gambling, and that the Santee Sioux Tribe would not be able to operate games such as roulette in Nebraska. In addition, the Interior Department refused the tribe the option of offering simulcast off-track betting or betting on dog-racing on the basis that only venues that host live horse racing are allowed to operate betting on horse racing events.
While Nebraska has the authority to grant a compact allowing all casino games to the tribe, the state has not opted to do so. In a November 2004 vote, Nebraska residents rejected the tribe’s request to add slot machines and table games such as roulette. | 
