California tribe awarded $30 million
CALIFORNIA – As reported by the San Diego Business Journal: "An ill-fated business relationship, which in 2003 spurred talk of a Caesars-brand casino-resort going up on the Pauma Indian reservation in North County, has degraded to the point of a jury's Dec. 1 decision to award $30 million in damages to the Pauma tribe.
"And the fight is not over.
"The proposed venue, dubbed Caesars Pauma in 2003, was to be an expansion of an existing casino run by the Pauma Band of Luiseño Mission Indians. At roughly 1,000 slot machines, Casino Pauma is small compared with other San Diego County casinos, many of which have 2,000 slot machines or more.
"…On Dec. 1, a jury returned a verdict against the new parent company, Harrah's, awarding Pauma $8 million for lost profits and $22 million for increased construction costs…"
