Governor Schwarzenegger is now hinting that Indian tribes that still have not renegotiated with him may soon miss their chance at having more slot machines.

In a wide-ranging and extensive news conference this afternoon with the Capitol press corps, the governor said he is currently negotiating with five more Indian tribes, and said he is not willing to allow but so many more slot machines, in total, in California.

The comments were noteworthy, in that the deals he agreed to earlier this year were widely interpreted to say that tribes could have all the slot machines they wanted, as long as they paid the state handsomely for them.

“We have an exact plan of how many slot machines this state can take,” the governor said. “And we will not go above that number.” Schwarzenegger wouldn’t say what the number was, and may have been directing his comments at some of the major tribes that have remained on the fence… and even some of the tribes that backed the now-defeated Proposition 70.