COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Pottawattamie County officials may take legal action to stop the construction of a casino in Carter Lake.

County officials say they will consider joining an existing lawsuit, or filing their own lawsuit, to stop the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska from building a casino in Carter Lake.

The county board of supervisors plans discuss its options on Monday.

Officials say the county could join an existing Nebraska lawsuit or join a lawsuit that Iowa might file, or file its own lawsuit.

Nebraska does not permit gambling, but Iowa does, and under federal law Native American tribes may offer gambling that is legal in a state where the tribe owns land.

Nebraska officials contend that Carter Lake is a geographic oddity because it is on the Nebraska side of the Missouri River and that Nebraska has the legal right to sue.

Iowa officials are worried that the Ponca tribe won’t be required to pay gambling taxes.