SAN PABLO
                  Card rooms sue to stop tribe's casino

                  Four card rooms have sued to block the Lytton band of Pomo Indians from
                  acquiring land they fear could become the state's first casino near a major
                  urban area.

                  The card rooms filed the federal suit in Sacramento seeking to stop the
                  Bureau of Indian Affairs from taking the 9.5-acre Casino San Pablo site into
                  trust this week for the Lytton tribe.

                  The tribe's attorney, Anthony Cohen, dismissed the suit filed last week as "a
                  delaying tactic." The tribe is not a party to the suit, but contends the bureau
                  has no legal authority to voluntarily stop its acquisition on behalf of the tribe
                  without a court injunction.

                  Congress approved the Lytton tribe's plan to take over the casino last year,
                  but Nevada senators are trying to repeal the law.

                  Gov. Gray Davis opposes turning the card room into a casino but believes
                  giving the tribe the casino land doesn't itself change anything, said
                  spokeswoman Hilary McLean. She and the tribe's chairwoman, Margie
                  Mejia, said the tribe still would need to negotiate a compact with Davis'
                  office before it could install slot machines.

                  Artichoke Joe's, California Grand Casino, Lucky Chances Inc., and the
                  Oaks card rooms filed the suit. All are located near the San Pablo casino,
                  which currently operates as a card room.

                  -- Associated Press