The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, permits casinos, but most Palestinians, on religious grounds, do not gamble.

Today some 20 states permit casinos.

Mr. Bush said the casino violated the law, since Texas did not permit casinos.

Second, the State Senate voted against permitting casinos in several communities, including Niagara Falls.

While most states allow such limited forms of gambling, only Nevada and New Jersey permit full-scale casinos outside reservations.

Just 16 months earlier, Missouri votes had approved a law permitting floating casinos.

A few states, like Utah and Hawaii, do not permit gambling or casinos.

The Pequots argue that this, in effect, permits casinos, and their argument has prevailed in the courts.

These laws can permit legal casinos on reservations, for example, which attract tourists.

But rollbacks in regulatory requirements have permitted casinos to convert meeting space to gambling areas.