Coyote Valley tribe defends slot software

UKIAH, California -- As reported by the Press Democrat: "Coyote Valley tribal representatives Friday dismissed a state commission's contentions that there are widespread software lapses in slot machines at the Mendocino County casino and six larger Indian gaming centers around the state.

"Local tribal leaders said chances of serious software problems are slim at the local Shodakai casino because it has only 282 machines, compared with thousands of slots at much larger gambling halls tested in Southern California and the Sacramento Valley.

"...In general, state investigators concluded that up to 40 percent of the 500 slot machines tested statewide were running obsolete software.

"That could be shortchanging casino patrons of winnings, and tribes and the state of tens of thousands of dollars in gambling revenue, they concluded.

"But tribal representatives and their attorneys disagreed Friday over the severity of the problem. And the state commission, despite investigators' findings, has not required tribes to replace the disputed software..."