Six gaming tribes in Oregon oppose a non-tribal Flying Lark casino proposed by Dutch Bros founder Travis Boersma in Grants Pass adjacent to his racetrack.
They are asking Oregon Governor Kate Brown to conduct a thorough investigation of the planned casino and entertainment center, saying that it could alter the nature of tribal gaming in the state and commercial more commercial gaming operations.
Boersma is a new billionaire since his Dutch Bros coffee company began public trading last month. His center will have 250 historical racing terminals.
Justin Martin, a lobbyist for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde asked, “All of a sudden it’s like, has the state’s prohibition on casinos been waived?”
He added. “We played under one set of rules. We invested in our facilities in rural Oregon based on those rules. And now it looks like the rules are changing.”
While the law limits casino gaming to tribal lands, an exception is horse racetracks.
Horseracing in Oregon is ailing, with the last commercial track, Portland Meadows, closing two years ago. Historical racing machines is a successful strategy many racetracks across the country have used to make their tracks more commercially viable. Boersma argues that such machines are vital to penciling out his property, the Grants Pass Downs. Portland Meadows had 100 such machines.
Mike Thiessen, president of the Flying Lark, added, “We are committed to paying a living wage in southern Oregon, which will have nothing but a positive impact in peoples’ lives.”
Critics say there is effectively no difference between a historical racing machine and a slot machine. Robert Whelan, an economist who wrote a study the tribes commissioned, stated, “Gamblers insert money, select an amount to bet, press a button, and watch a brief animated display. Once the display stops, the gambler learns if they won or lost their bet.”
Allied with the tribes to oppose the Flying Lark is the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, most of whose members get some profits from the state lottery. It has called for the governor to review the state’s gaming policies.
They are also criticizing the Oregon Racing Commission, which has approved of the project, and which the tribes accuse of being inadequately equipped to regulate the industry.
Nevertheless Governor Brown has said she will leave the decision of allowing the Flying Lark up to the racing commission.
