SIGA unable to purchase casinos

The Saskatchewan government
will not be selling Casino Regina and Casino Moose Jaw to the Saskatchewan
Indian Gaming Authority despite a memorandum of understanding that SIGA buy the
two casinos. Past offers to purchase the casinos have been met with government
rejection. However, recently Premier Brad Wall started considering the option,
stating that revenue from the casinos would provide economic opportunities for
First Nations. The Crown Ownership Act sets out conditions before a Crown
corporation can be sold and was voted in unanimously. The NDP say they’re not
opposed to looking at selling the casinos to First Nations, but they will not
support amending the act to allow this particular deal to be exempt.
“Basically, I’m extremely disappointed and disheartened in the way that the
leader of the NDP has approached this. There was no secret, backdoor deal.
Everything was transparent and open,” Chief Perry Bellegarde told Global News.