Federal agency, reversing prior rulings, greenlights Eklutna tribal gaming hall

Scholar and Native Village of Eklutna President Aaron Leggett speaks astatine a 2023 ceremony. Eklutna’s plans for a tribal gaming hallway received a awesome boost this month. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

The National Indian Gaming Commission has approved plans for a casino-style tribal gaming hallway projected by nan Native Village of Eklutna for a tract adjacent Anchorage.

The decision, published this period by nan commission, follows an Interior Department decision in February that reinterpreted nan ineligible position of Alaska Native spot land, reversing decades of precedent.

The gaming hall, which is expected to clasp rows of physics gambling machines, is akin to the Southeast Winds Casino in Metlakatla but would beryllium a first successful nan Railbelt.

The installation wouldn’t big array games for illustration blackjack aliases poker, because those aren’t allowed by authorities law, but it could big physics versions of pull-tab and bingo machines.

“There’s still a fewer hurdles to clear, but we consciousness nan awesome hurdles person been cleared,” said Eklutna Tribal Council President and Chair Aaron Leggett. 

Speaking by phone, Leggett said that erstwhile built, nan gaming hallway will beryllium “a immense use for nan Tribe” because of nan money it will earn.

The Tribe has astir 300 members, he said.

“Right now, we’re successful dire request of housing. We’re trying to raise finance to conception a gathering center/office abstraction for nan Tribe. We person our mini clinic, but we don’t person overmuch successful nan measurement of immoderate infrastructure … truthful we consciousness that this will spur improvement successful nan village, it’ll spur improvement successful nan area, and it’ll spur improvement for Anchorage too,” he said.

The commission’s support isn’t nan last connection connected nan gaming hall, which still has to acquisition biology reappraisal and construction. 

There’s besides nan anticipation of further ineligible action. Eklutna projected its gaming hallway much than 25 years ago, and its latest connection involves building nan hallway connected an 8-acre family allotment held successful spot by nan national government.

In 2018, nan national authorities rejected that idea, saying nan Tribe didn’t clasp jurisdiction complete nan allotment. Eklutna sued, and nan authorities of Alaska joined nan national authorities successful opposition. In 2021, a territory tribunal judge successful Washington, D.C., ruled against Eklutna.

But this year, Interior Department Solicitor Robert Anderson released a caller ineligible mentation of existing law, saying nan section now believes that family allotments whitethorn travel nether tribal jurisdiction if definite conditions are met.

Eklutna resubmitted its connection to nan National Indian Gaming Commission, which approved nan Tribe’s plans, citing nan solicitor’s opinion.

The authorities of Alaska, successful ineligible filings related to a different lawsuit, has already expressed concerns pinch nan solicitor’s sentiment and could situation nan caller support arsenic well.

Leggett said he thinks nan Tribe’s plans besides could tally into guidance from nan state’s existing charitable gaming industry, which includes pull-tab parlors crossed nan state.

For that reason, he said, he says he’s only astir 80% to 85% definite that nan gaming hallway is afloat fresh to spell guardant without further obstacles. 

“The measurement I for illustration to put it, we’ve put nan champagne connected ice, but we haven’t popped nan cork,” he said.