Running Aces, a notable Minnesota-based casino, hotel, and racetrack establishment has instigated recent legal proceedings against three of the most prominent casino operators in the state. The lawsuit alleges these operators have breached gambling rules. Running Aces offers a range of casino games legally, including popular choices such as Ultimate Texas Hold’Em, Three Card Poker, and blackjack, amongst a variety of other card games.
Three of Minnesota’s largest casinos are the defendants in the case, namely, the Grand Casino Hinckley and Grand Casino Mille Lacs, both owned by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, along with the Treasure Island Resort & Casino, owned by the Prairie Island Indian Community. The claimant, Running Aces, asserts that these establishments unlawfully offered Class III gaming activities, undermining the standards set by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
In the lawsuit, Running Aces acknowledges the substantial power each of these casinos holds and notes their continuous pursuit of maintaining this dominance. The claimant alleges these casinos have constantly attempted to thwart Running Aces’ progression and expansion undertakings.
Furthermore, Running Aces alleges that these predominant casino operators have significantly grown their gaming operations, disregarding explicit criminal prohibitions. The claimant cites requirements under the IGRA between the three casinos and Minnesota that instruct the limitation of casino games to blackjack and slot machines only.
The Allegation of Unlawful and Unfair Competitive Edge
Detailing the infractions, Running Aces alleges that Treasure Island Resort & Casino breached its gaming compact before October 2023 when its license was amended to include Class III card games.
Conversely, both Grand Casinos currently offer Class III card games, such as Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’Em. These games, however, are reported to be conspicuously absent from their tribal-state gambling agreement, as stated by Running Aces in its lawsuit. Ultimately, Running Aces charges that these “violations have bequeathed the defendants’ casinos with an illegal and unfair competitive edge” over its operations.
“Our sole objective has always been an equitable treatment, to vie on an equal footing, to embrace enhancements within the pari-mutuel environment, and to function without the fear of vanishing.”
Taro Ito, CEO of Running Aces
Taro Ito, CEO of Running Aces, has stated that the company aspires to grow and operate within a fair market. He emphasizes the racetrack’s endeavour to battle competitors on equal terms without fear of elimination. Concluding, Ito expressed his motive for Running Aces to present its concerns and facts and for a court to judge the merits of the case.
