Indian Gaming > Off-reservation casino deal in Oregon debated

July 20, 2006

Off-reservation casino deal in Oregon debated

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Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) is raising eyebrows for approving the first off-reservation casino in the state.

Kulongoski said he agreed to the deal because the Warm Springs Tribes are in a unique situation. The tribe has land that is eligible for gaming but it is located in an environmentally sensitive area.

So rather than build the casino in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, the tribe proposed an off-reservation casino in the more business-friendly Cascade Locks. Kulongoski signed a compact for the site and the tribe filed a land-into-trust application there.

But other tribes say the deal sets a precedent for them to seek off-reservation casinos. "Can one of your children get something and then you refuse the next?" Sue Shaffer, the chairwoman of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians, asked The Eugene Register-Guard.

The Cow Creek Band and the Grand Ronde Tribes are opposing the deal. Grand Ronde spent $850,000 in ads to oppose Kulongoski during the Democratic gubernatorial campaign.

Get the Story:
Critics say Kulongoski's pact sets precedent (The Eugene Register-Guard 7/19)
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After a decade of prosperity, the rules may be changing (The Eugene Register-Guard 7/19)