1.   Because some eastern tribes did not consider their status as sovereign entities so important they signed compacts with state governments requiring tax payments on their gaming revenues.

2.   Gaming revenues are the third largest in the state, behind Las Vegas and Reno.

3.   Gaming revenue also broke a record.

4.   In a second jolt for the tribes, a House committee supported an unprecedented tax on Indian gaming revenues as part of the budget-balancing push.

5.   In such a heated environment, every decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs is considered crucial, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of dollars in gaming revenues.

6.   The outcome could determine the flow of potentially billions of dollars in gaming revenues.

7.   Without consulting the real Indian nations, they agreed to pay taxes on their gaming revenues to the state of Connecticut.