"There are several Tribal Casinos in Oregon; several plans for expansion and efforts to market the Tribal casinos can be heard on radio, seen on billboards throughout the state, as well as on television.

Efforts to establish a casino in the Columbia Gorge has sparked a plethora of opinions, based on fact and conjecture. While many people in Cascade Locks are fully supportive of this effort to bring jobs and prosperity to an area that has struggled to provide employment to its residents, others are not.

Gaming, Native style, has had a significant impact upon not only the Tribes who have gone into this business, but to the people who live in surrounding areas. In fact, the majority of employees across the nation who work at Native casinos are non-Native as up to 80 percent of employees are non-Native.

Indian gaming substantially impacts state economies due to the fact that most of the things that are needed to have a successful business enterprise are not available on reservations. The Tribes have to purchase these items from local businesses, thereby fueling the economy of local and state businesses."

Get the Story:
Renee Roman Nose: Indian gaming: fact and fiction (The Oregon State University Daily Barometer 6/28)