Latest news with #MysticLake
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Doobie Brothers and Jimmy Buffett's band line up outdoor gig in Minnesota
Mystic Lake is doing that thing where it transports visitors back in time. This go-round, it'll do with the help of The Doobie Brothers. The casino announced this week that it'll bring the classic rock act to Prior Lake with Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band for an outdoor show at the Mystic Amphitheater on Sept. 7. The Doobie Brothers, best known for songs like "Black Water" and "What a Fool Believes" from early in its more than half-century career, are still out there. More impressively, decades after the release of its self-titled 1971 debut, the group still features founding members Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons. (Though, Johnston left the group in 1977 before rejoining a decade later.) They're joined by The Coral Reefer Band, which served as a backhand for the late "Margaritaville" singer starting in the '70s. Tickets for the show start at $49 through the Mystic Lake box office or $58.10 through Ticketmaster. They'll go on sale on March 21 at 10 a.m.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge dismisses Running Aces lawsuit against 5 other Minnesota casinos
A judge has dismissed a federal lawsuit by Running Aces Casino against five tribal casinos in Minnesota that it accused of offering games not allowed under state law. The lawsuit was filed last spring under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, and named 39 current and former executives and employees at Mystic Lake, Little Six, Grand Casino (Hinckley and Mille Lacs) and Treasure Island Resort Casino as defendants. It alleged the casinos were offering games – such as Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em – not permitted under state compacts set up through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988. But U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz dismissed the case Tuesday, saying that the current and former employees named did not adequately represent the tribal nations, and as a result the tribes could be negatively impacted by the ruling in a lawsuit in which they are not listed as defendants. However, the judge also acknowledges that sovereign immunity protects tribes from lawsuits such as that filed by Running Aces. "Setting that aside, even if Running Aces's claims have merit, the remaining ... factors – especially the Tribes' sovereign immunity and the magnitude of the prejudice that the Tribes could suffer from a judgment entered in this case – weigh in favor of dismissal. Indeed, courts frequently find that an absent tribe's sovereign immunity outweighs the plaintiff's lack of an alternative forum." "As noted, the gaming that is challenged in this lawsuit is of enormous economic importance to the absent Tribes, and protecting the economic sustainability of tribes is a primary goal of IGRA specifically and federal Indian policy generally... The Court therefore has little trouble concluding that the Tribes' interests in protecting a critical source of funds and jobs outweigh Running Aces's interest in a forum for its claims of competitive injury," it continues. The suit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning a similar lawsuit can be filed in the future, and Running Aces President and CEO, Taro Ito, told Bring Me The News he does intend to file again. He said he was "surprised" to hear of the judge's ruling, claiming the dismissal related to "procedural issues" rather than the merit of his casino's case. He also said the judge's dismissal highlights there is little legal recourse for complaints against tribal casinos, saying tribes can simply claim sovereign immunity. "Obviously it's disappointing because we feel very strongly about our case," he said. "We'll take this to the Supreme Court if we have to." BMTN has reached out to Grand Casino, Mystic Lake, Treasure Island and Little Six for comment on the outcome but haven't heard back.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
Court dismisses Running Aces lawsuit against 5 tribal casinos
The Brief A lawsuit filed by Running Aces Casino accusing other casinos of allowing illegal games was dropped in federal court. The lawsuit alleged the casinos were illegally offering class III card games and video games of chance. Five tribal casinos, Treasure Island Resort and Casino, Grand Casino Hinckley, Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Mystic Lake and Little Six, were all named in the lawsuit. (FOX 9) - A Running Aces Casino lawsuit that accused five tribal casinos of offering illegal card and video games of chance was dismissed. The lawsuit, filed in spring 2024, was dismissed in federal court on Tuesday. READ MORE: Mystic Lake, Little Six casinos named in Running Aces lawsuit alleging illegal video games Court records show the lawsuit aimed to recover damages and that Running Aces was seeking an injunction against the illegal gambling activities. What they're saying The concluding line in the dismissal filing states, "As noted, the gaming that is challenged in this lawsuit is of enormous economic importance to the absent Tribes, and protecting the economic sustainability of tribes is a primary goal of IGRA specifically and federal Indian policy generally. The Court therefore has little trouble concluding that the Tribes' interests in protecting a critical source of funds and jobs outweigh Running Aces's interest in a forum for its claims of competitive injury." The court document also states, "Running Aces—a bitter competitor of the Tribes—is seeking to impose crushing personal financial liability under RICO on dozens of current and former employees of the casinos." READ MORE: Running Aces Casino files federal lawsuit against 3 Minnesota casinos When the lawsuit was first filed last year, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which owns Mystic Lake and Little Six, shared this statement in response: "Running Aces' lawsuit has no merit. All gaming conducted at Mystic Lake and Little Six Casinos complies with tribal law, federal law, and the gaming compact that was executed in 1989. "Winning in court is not Running Aces' real purpose in filing this case. It is a desperate stunt to attack the good reputation of tribes and tribal gaming. This lawsuit is intended to mislead the public and influence the final stages of the Minnesota Legislature's 2024 session." The full dismissal can be viewed below: Click to open this PDF in a new window. The other side Running Aces President and CEO Taro Ito said he was surprised by the dismissal, saying the case wasn't dismissed on merit, but on procedural issues. He maintained the casinos named in the lawsuit are offering illegal gambling activity. "What recourse does a competitor or individual have when they feel like they've been harmed or damaged by a tribal casino? It appears there isn't any available, because it's required to have tribes as an indispensable party. Obviously, the tribes will just claim sovereign immunity and the case is thrown out." Ito added that Running Aces will seek to appeal the dismissal and will pursue all legal remedies available. The full lawsuit filed by Running Aces can be viewed below: Click to open this PDF in a new window. The backstory The lawsuit was initially filed under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act, naming high-level executives at tribal-owned casinos. Those casinos include Mystic Lake and Little Six, which are owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Grand Casino Hinckley and Grand Casino Mille Lacs, which are owned by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and Treasue Island Resort and Casino, owned by the Prairie Island Indian Community. The lawsuit alleged the casinos have "illegal and unfair competitive advantages over Running Aces" by offering class III card games that were not authorized by the Tribal Gaming Compact or the State of Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement, Class III gambling includes "common casino games such as video games of chance (slot machines and video poker), roulette, craps, baccarat, and banking card games such as blackjack. Class III gambling is conducted under a compact that each tribe negotiates with the government of the state in which it is located." The lawsuit aimed to recover damages, with Running Aces seeking an injunction against the alleged illegal gambling activities, according to a press release from the casino. The Source Documents filed in federal court and past FOX 9 reporting.
