DULUTH — A federal judge has rejected Duluth’s attempt to reinstate an agreement that had provided the city with millions of dollars from the Fond-du-Luth casino each year.

The National Indian Gaming Commission told the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in 2011 that its longtime agreement with the city to run the casino was contrary to federal law. The commission said the band should have “sole propriety interest” in the casino.

The city challenged that ruling. Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kelly upheld the commissioners’ notice. The band had been paying the city about $6 million a year to operate the casino in Duluth.