The Cowlitz Tribe of Washington, owners of ilani casino in Ridgefield, has announced it will go it alone in operating the casino—ending its six-year management relationship with the Mohegan Tribe, the Columbian reports.
The Mohegan Tribe oversees operations of the highly successful casino, and will continue to do so for the next 15 months as operational control transitions to a “self-managed enterprise.”
Cowlitz Tribal Chairwoman Patty Kinswa-Gaiser announced, “After careful consideration, the Cowlitz Tribal Gaming Authority has recommended, and the Cowlitz Tribal Council has approved, a decision to begin a multi-step process of transitioning ilani from an enterprise managed by the Mohegan Tribe to a self-managed enterprise.”
The existing management contract ends June 2024.
Kinswa-Gaiser said her tribe was grateful for the guidance and partnership the Mohegan Tribe provided.
She said the tribe was providing enough notice for the Cowlitz Tribe Gaming Authority “to begin a deliberate, professional and multi-step process, evolving ilani from its current fully-managed state, to one where it is assisted with management and, ultimately, to independent self-management.”
The tribe announced its plans in March, a development that the Columbian reported which surprised some tribal members.
