REBA MCINTYRE

Windcreek Casino Resort 

Poarch, Alabama

Friday evening, July 17th, 2009

The new amplitheatre was filled..over 2,500 guests!

The weather was very nice.

REBA was excellent!

REBA performed, the crowd loved her!

What a classy lady to perform live in Poarch Alabama!

REBA brought a new level of excitment and expectation to

Poarch, Alabama, and the Gulf Coast. Job well done!

2009 Election Results

Congratulations!

              Stephanie Bryan                 Keith Martin                     Berry Ross

       Vice-Chairman                 Tribal Council                  Tribal Council

This was a historic election for our tribe. 

The largest number of voters on record participated in this years election. 

FOR THE FIRST TIME, TRIBAL MEMBERS ELECTED AN OFFICER OF OUR TRIBE!

Thank you Tribal Members for participating.

Ongoing Construction projects

New #2 Fire Station near I-65

New Waste Water Treatment Facility

New Cultural Museum - Visitors Welcome Center

Inside Work on New Cultural Center

Arrival of blimp.

Riley's gambling task force could be a boost for Creek Indian casinos

Saturday, March 07, 2009
By GEORGE R. ALTMAN
Capital Bureau
MONTGOMERY - Gov. Bob Riley's statewide campaign against electronic bingo machines can't touch the devices at Indian casinos, a federal official said, and it might give those venues a monopoly on electronic bingo.
"If the state of Alabama allows (paper) bingo to be played within the state boundaries, then the tribe is allowed to offer similar games, including ... the electronic form of bingo," said Shawn Pensoneau, a spokesman for the National Indian Gaming Commission, which regulates Indian casinos across the country.
Riley in December created a task force to shut down electronic bingo machines everywhere the state has jurisdiction. But the federal - not state - government regulates Indian gaming.
By removing electronic bingo machines from non-Indian gambling halls, Riley's task force would, in effect, grant exclusivity for the devices to Indian casinos.
The state currently doesn't tax electronic bingo games inside or outside of Indian casinos, but Indian tribes, including Alabama's Poarch Band of Creek Indians, are often willing to pay states for the right to offer games that are illegal elsewhere.
Riley spokesman Todd Stacy declined to discuss the possibility that the governor's actions could grant gaming exclusivity to Indian casinos free of charge. Riley's focus is enforcing state law, which bars such electronic machines, Stacy said.
"I can't speak for the federal government," Stacy said. "Alabama's law is very clear that slot machines - no matter what they're called, no matter what they have been altered to be - are illegal."
Not everyone sees it that way.
Attorney General Troy King, who was originally appointed by Riley, has said the machines in question are legal forms of bingo, rather than illegal slot machines. And federal officials, who regulate Indian casinos, define electronic bingo much like King does.
This response from the National Indian Gaming Commission ensures that Alabama would have to overturn 18 constitutional amendments allowing paper bingo in order to end electronic bingo at Indian casinos, King said.
Though regulation of Indian gaming falls to the federal commission, states can generally limit the types of games allowed in Indian casinos. The venues can only offer gaming that's allowed elsewhere in the state, unless a state gives the tribe special permission, called a compact.
There are no compacts in Alabama.
The governor's office has suggested that if Riley's gambling task force succeeds in stopping electronic bingo everywhere the state has jurisdiction, such machines may be removed from Indian casinos because those casinos can't offer gambling banned elsewhere.
But the machines can stay as long as paper bingo is allowed anywhere in Alabama, Pensoneau said.
The federal commission draws no distinction between the traditional game of bingo, played with a card and markers, and most electronic forms of the game.
Alabama has passed constitutional amendments to allow bingo in 18 of its counties, cities and towns, according to King.
In January, King said Riley's task force could give Indian casinos an effective monopoly on electronic bingo and added last week that he wasn't surprised to hear Pensoneau's similar conclusion.
Some in Montgomery have suggested that Alabama should tax gambling to bolster state revenue.
One possible method would be making a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which operates several casinos, including the new Wind Creek Casino and Hotel in Atmore.
"We've always been open to having talks with the state regarding a compact," said Sharon Delmar, a spokeswoman for the Poarch Creek Indians. Such a compact would likely involve allowing some type of Las Vegas-style gambling, such as slot machines or card games, at the Indian casinos.
Though this would likely expand gambling in the state - the opposite of Riley's stated goal - it would give revenue to Alabama in exchange for gambling exclusivity, which the tribe might get anyway.
Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Paul Hubbert, an advocate for bringing more money to schools, said it is "ludicrous" to have gambling in the state without taxing it.
"It seems to me, if gaming is going on and is continuing to go on, it's foolish for Alabama to ignore the possible revenue from it," Hubbert said.
Delmar said the Poarch Creek Indians had no response at this time to the possibility of gaining gambling exclusivity without having to pay tax revenue for it.
"I'll be glad to wait and see what happens," she said.

Changes are going to take place in this years election. You, the general council voted to change the elections so that direct election of the officers will begin taking place. Since that ammendment was approved in last years election, the change is law. Now the Tribal Council must enact an election procedures ordinance putting the change into effect. This is an important step in allowing the voice of tribel members to be heard in all positions of the Tribal Council. This allows you - the tribal member, to elect your Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. With the tremendous growth of our Tribe, and millions of dollars are our disposal, it is very important that each of you have the opportunity to select specifically who fills these critical offices. In addition to the officers of the Tribe, you will continue to be able to elect 5 at large Tribal Council positions.

I will post a complete schedule of the elections on this site very soon. Please continue to visit for updates.

More details will be posted on new phases of the Tribal Member Health Benefit Plan. To date we have over 600 Tribal Members that are participating in the Tribal Member Health Insurance Benefit. The Tribal Council will be considering the next step in providing a Health Benefit to those members currently not enrolled in the insurance plan.  More details forthcoming.

A new day dawns for our Tribe.

It was a beautiful day as hundreds of tribal members gathered for a special preview of the new Windcreek Casino. Many years of effort has lead to this historic day. I was able to capture a few images to give you a glimpse of the events and people. I will add more very soon. Thank you for visiting A Better Tribe.com, I look forward to hearing from you...today!