Under a bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week, San Diego County is expected to get about $3 million from the state's Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund, a pot of money that some tribes with casinos pay into to help offset the problems their gambling operations cause outside their reservations.
Senate Bill 856, signed Tuesday by the governor, was a "trailer bill" to this year's state budget. The bill included $30 million to be distributed to local governments with nearby casinos.

"It's a great program and we're happy to get it," said Teresa Brownyard, the county's tribal liaison.

North County may not see much of the money because of the way the fund is structured.

The money is directed to the areas where the casinos that pay into it are located. In San Diego County, that means the money will primarily benefit East County communities surrounding the Sycuan and Barona reservations.
Most North County casino tribes operate under a slightly different agreement with the state. They pay into a separate fund that helps pay 71 poor, non-gaming tribes annually about $1.1 million each.

North County casino tribes also entered into separate agreements with the county to pay millions for road upgrades and to address other off-reservation problems caused by their operations.

In Riverside County, Temecula is expected to get $2 million to $3 million because of its proximity to the Pechanga Indian Reservation. The Pechanga Band of Mission Indians operates one of the largest tribal-owned casinos in the state.
The bill restores $30 million that the governor took from the distribution fund in 2007 and diverted into the state's general fund because, the governor said at the time, he was concerned about how the money was being spent.
Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said the governor's concerns have been addressed.

In San Diego County, the money is distributed by the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee, a group that includes tribal and county representatives.

When the state officially announces how much each county will get, the committee begins requesting applications for grants, Brownyard said. The county is expected to receive about $3.2 million based on previous years, she said.
In the past, grants have been awarded to the Ramona Municipal Water District to purchase a new fire truck, to the district attorney's office to help expedite the investigation and prosecution of crimes on local tribal lands, and to the county to help train problem-gambling counselors.

The distribution fund was established under the gambling agreements struck between the tribes and the state in 1999 and approved by California voters a year later. About two dozen tribes pay into the fund.

The distribution fund was also designed to pay for gambling regulation and problem-gambling programs.

Changes to gambling agreements for some tribes, including Pechanga and Viejas tribes in recent years, have put the distribution fund at risk of running out of money, according to the state legislative analyst's office.

Under new agreements signed by the Pechanga, Agua Caliente, Morongo and San Manuel tribes, those tribes no longer pay into the fund. They pay money directly to the state's general fund.

Call staff writer Edward Sifuentes at 760-740-3511.