Bingo Spells Praise for Sycuan Indians From U.S. Government

The Sycuan band of Mission Indians, in its sixth year of operating a profitable bingo hall, got a pat on the back Monday for its financial stability when the federal government’s assistant secretary for Indian affairs visited the reservation east of El Cajon.

“We often talk about tribal self-determination, Indian self-determination, and I think this is probably one of the places where that is truly taking place. I wanted to personally come out to take a look at it,” said Eddie Brown, who is in charge of Indian affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Sycuans no longer rely on federal grants.

The Sycuan Reservation, one of 18 American Indian reservations in Southern California, operates a gaming center offering high-stakes bingo and poker seven days a week, bringing in more than $20 million in revenues a year. Gaming on the country’s Indian reservations was a $400-million business last year, Brown said.

About $2 million of the gaming profits go directly back to the Sycuans each year, said Jim Trant, tribal business manager. With that money, the Sycuans became self-sufficient, improving health care with a modern health clinic, providing scholarships for Sycuan youth, maintaining fire and police departments, operating a 24-hour ambulance service and building 29 Spanish-style homes.

“What’s significant here is we’re not talking about federal dollars. These are dollars generated by the community through their economic ventures, such as bingo,” Brown said. He said only tribal health services receive minimal federal aid.

The Sycuan tribe plans to open a $3-million gaming center extension in mid-August. The casino will employ more than 800 people, general manager Gerald Winters said, possibly making it the largest employer in East County.

“It’s impressive that a tribe such as this one has taken the funds, put them back into the community and are looking at broader things,” Brown said. “They’re looking at how they can improve education, looking at other things for the elderly, looking at other needs of the community.”

But Brown also heard grievances from tribal leaders of about 15 other reservations who told him of problems with local law enforcement officials, antiquated irrigation systems and inequitable funding, during a session of the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Assn.

Brown visited reservations in central and northern California on Monday. It was his first trip to the state since he took office less than a year ago.

Although the Sycuan gaming center ran into trouble with law enforcement officials when it offered three bingo games in 1984 that were later ruled illegal, it has been operating without interruption since opening in November 1983.

The Barona Reservation, near Lakeside, and Rincon Reservation, northeast of Escondido, also offered high-stakes bingo and poker in the early 1980s. Both reservations closed the doors of their bingo halls after rifts between operators of the games and tribal members surfaced.