Editorial: Approve new gaming compacts for Washington tribes

Washington’s treaty tribes would find it easier to add electronic slot machines as their enterprises gradually expand under terms of new compacts negotiated by Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration. The state Gambling Commission is expected to approve the compact amendments for 27 of 29 tribes on Friday.

Compacts are negotiated between sovereign tribes and the Governor’s Office under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, passed by Congress in 1988 to boost economic development on tribal lands. Tribes are entitled to use the specially designed slots, which are an electronic version of scratch tickets, because federal courts have equated tribal-style slots to state-run Lottery games.

Earlier state compacts set long-term limits of 90,000 machines statewide, but only 28,000 were allocated statewide under compacts reached in 2007. The new agreements boost that 28,000-machine cap by about 1,350 immediately. Another 1,350 would be available if the Cowlitz tribe is able to operate a casino project still caught in a court fight.

Several South Sound tribes are affected, including the Squaxin Island, Nisqually and Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis; two tribes — the Puyallup and Muckleshoot — did not join negotiations but may benefit. A key piece of the proposals lets tribes incrementally add the e-slot machines to their businesses over time as they need them, without coming back to the state. Under the pending compacts, tribes as a group gain access to another 1,350 machines whenever the pool of slot machines available for all tribes shrinks to just 500, subject to verification by the state.