Phone Companies Warned About Cda Tribal Lottery

Minnesota Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III is warning longdistance carriers that it would be illegal for them to provide service to an Idaho Indian tribe’s national lottery.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe of Plummer plans a national lottery in 36 states and the District of Columbia that would be played through a toll-free telephone number and credit cards.

Humphrey said Wednesday he sent letters to officials of AT&T, Sprint and MCI that under federal and state law, they cannot provide interstate service to the tribe or its management company, which would allow Minnesota residents to buy lottery tickets.

“The purpose of this letter is to notify you … that if your company provides interstate telephone service to allow persons in Minnesota to purchase lottery tickets, or otherwise participate in the national lottery, such telephone service would be …in violation of state and federal law,” the letters said.

Humphrey has raised legal objections to the Coeur d’Alene lottery involving Minnesota residents because it is a gambling game not authorized by the state of Minnesota.

He also alleges it is illegal because the lottery does not meet the federal requirement that gaming take place on Indian lands and because it proposes interstate transmission of wagers by use of a wire communication.

Last month, Humphrey authored a resolution opposing the Coeur d’Alene lottery which was approved by the National Association of Attorneys General.

It has been sent to the Justice Department and the National Indian Gaming Commission.

The telephone companies were asked to “discontinue or refuse the leasing, furnishing or maintaining” of the service after providing notice to the tribe.