A decision in the favor of the Cowlitz tribe of Washington state by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means a possible 41 percent hit to revenues for the neighboring Grand Ronde Tribe or about 0 million annually.
The appeals court clears all hurdles for the Cowlitz to build its casino in La Center, in the southwest part of Washington.
Grand Ronde spokesman Justin Martin told the Statesman Journal, “This will be a big financial hit to the tribe, and as a government that offers essential services like health care and education, we have to decide where we go from here because of this decision.” Currently the tribe rakes in about $244 million a year from its Spirit Mountain Casino.
Because of the huge hit awaiting it, the tribe decided earlier month to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Martin said, “We have a responsibility to provide services to our members and we’ll look at other opportunities, either through economic diversity or gambling opportunities if they present themselves.”
The tribe is also looking diversifying or even opening a commercial casino, something that the Oregon constitution bans.
Martin said the tribe may try to acquire land elsewhere and put it into trust. “If we were to take the land into trust it would be part of the reservation. I think the reality is that you need to see a policy change in Oregon. I think it’s safe to say that that we’d have to look at several ways to do that, including going to the voters of Oregon to try and make something like that happen,” said Martin.
The state has a vested interest in profitable tribal casinos, Martin pointed out. It taxes casinos at 6 percent, with the rest of the money going to fund things like tribal education, health care and pensions.
