The strenuous legal battle between the Coeur d'Alene Indians of Idaho and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon will be brought to federal court this month in Kansas City. Nixon insists that the tribe is breaking Missouri laws by offering its online lottery to Missouri citizens.
The suit was filed by Nixon in 1997. The tribe had it moved to federal court when Nixon won an injunction blocking the site in Missouri. A U.S. District Judge ruled that tribal sovereignty made the tribe immune from the suit, however, Nixon appealed the decision in January and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in his favor, reviving the case. The tribe appealed to the Supreme Court unsuccessfully, so the case will go to federal court as scheduled.
The Coeur d'Alene Indians operates a highly successful online lottery at http://www.uslottery.com. The service has been suspended, however, due to the pending lawsuit.