Siegelman on gambling: ???

OK...what gives here? Yesterday, Don Siegelman criticized Gov. Riley for failing to stop the expansion of Indian gambling in the state. Then, in his next breath, Siegelman appeared to advocate measures allowing the Indian casinos to offer games like blackjack and roulette that are currently illegal.

Former Gov. Don Siegelman said Wednesday that Gov. Bob Riley has not done enough to stop the expansion of gambling at Indian-owned facilities in Alabama and that the state should now find a way to tax the games.

Standing in the parking lot of a Wetumpka gaming center where the Poarch Creek Indians operate 538 electronic gambling machines, Siegelman told news reporters the state should negotiate a compact that would allow the Indians to operate casinos, provided they paid a substantial amount of money to the state...

Federal law allows Indian tribes to operate any type of gambling that is legal in a state and not pay taxes to the state. But governors in some states have negotiated compacts with Indians that allow them to operate other types of gambling on their tribal lands, provided they make payments to the state.

Currently the Indian facilities operate only the electronic machines and do not offer table games such as blackjack, dice or roulette, which are considered Class 3 gambling and are illegal in Alabama. Mothershed said any negotiations with the state would include allowing the tribe to operate Class 3 machines.