Leaders of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe say they are Minnesota's largest - and poorest - tribe. Thursday they'll roll out a plan for a Twin Cities casino and propose splitting the profits with the state. The idea may attract those looking for a way to fund a new Vikings stadium without raising taxes. But expansion of gambling has plenty of opponents.

While the Vikings, Minneapolis, and the Dayton administration are in negotiations to come up with a stadium plan, state lawmakers have floated a series of long-shot proposals of their own. The latest is a revival of the "racino" idea, which would use revenue from slot machines at horse racing tracks to help fund a new stadium. Gambling opponents and tribal casinos have helped defeat the proposal in the past.

The House leader on stadium legislation says the idea of funding a Vikings stadium with a new Twin Cities casino is "not in play right now." A spokeswoman for Mark Dayton says the governor does not support it as a way to pay for a stadium, saying a casino would likely be tied up in court for years and is not a reliable source of money.

The mayor of Duluth tells the Star Tribune the city is in serious financial trouble after the federal government sided with the Fond du Lac band in a legal tussle over casino revenue. The newspaper says some of the proposals to expand gambling in Minnesota could put the state on a similar collision course with tribes, which fear state gambling would cut into revenue that they say has helped alleviate crushing poverty on reservations.

The Minnesota Vikings say they have played their last game in the Metrodome under the current 30-year-old lease. It officially expires February 1. The team now considers itself homeless without legislation to help fund a new stadium. Lawmakers begin the 2012 legislative session on January 24. The Vikings (3-13) lost the season finale to the Bears, 17-13, matching the worst record in franchise history first set in 1984.

A funny thing happened to the stadium bill on its way to the Senate floor. A racino was added. Stadium backers worry inclusion of casino gambling at racetracks as a funding source will kill the bill. One more committee will take up the measure Thursday and may try to remove the racino.

Gov. Dayton says even if lawmakers choose to fund a new Vikings stadium through a racino, the plan would likely get gummed up in the court system for years. He says any plan to expand gambling at the racetracks would probably bring a lawsuit from the state's tribes, which have a long-standing deal that grants them a monopoly on gambling.

Minnesota Public Radio reports another player is making a move in the stadium game. A flyer says the band wants to build a casino in the Twin Cities metro and split the take 50-50 with the state of Minnesota. The White Earth tribe appeared in December before a Senate hearing to pitch a casino plan.