What a new Eastern WA tribal casino and hotel in Tri-Cities would look like
The fate of the Tri-Cities’ first tribal casino rests firmly in the hands of the Office of Indian Gaming within the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation anticipate a decision by late 2024 or early 2025 on its application to transfer tribe-owned land in Pasco to a federal trust, according to Cody Desautel, executive director.
Tribal leaders updated their Pasco counterparts on the status of their plans for a casino and hotel on the Colville-owned property north of Pasco’s King City area.
The tribes initiated the BIA process in April. Desautel said the Colville are answering questions and anticipate the BIA will begin the federal environmental impact statement process soon by posting a notice in the federal register.
“We will be very diligent about responding to their requests, but it is largely in their hands at this point,” he told the Port of Pasco commission during an Aug. 23 update, two weeks after a similar presentation to the Pasco City Council.
$3.1 billion industry
If approved, the Colville are on track to open the Tri-Cities’ first tribal casino.
The tribe itself operates three casinos on or near its reservation in north central Washington.
There are other casinos in the Tr-Cities, but the nearest tribal ones are the Wildhorse Casino and Resort in Pendleton, Ore., and the Legends Casino & Hotel in Toppenish.
Wildhorse is operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation and Legends is operated by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
The Yakama object to the Pasco casino on treaty grounds and said they too want to open a Tri-City casino. The Yakama have not announced a potential site.
Tribal gaming is a lucrative industry that netted Washington tribes $3.1 billion in 2022, according to a report to the 2023 Legislature prepared by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
Keeping vision simple
The Colville vision for Pasco is mostly unchanged since it initiated the 16-step federal approval process in April.
It describes a casino and associated hotel, but few other details. A rendering shows a tree-lined boulevard approaching the hotel and casino from North Capitol, near the Kartchner Street exit off Highway 395. The drive passes a lake-like water feature.
The lack of detail about additional amenities such as a golf course is deliberately discrete to ease the review, Desautel explained.
The Colville will assess community needs as the tribes develop the rest of the property and could even purchase additional parcels to support its economic development goals.
The Pasco casino will employ thousands and provide revenue to serve the 9,300 enrolled members. The Colville consists of 12 tribes from Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, Eastern Oregon and British Columbia.
Project history
The Colville bought four parcels totaling nearly 200 acres in Pasco in 2019. It announced plans to build a casino and other businesses on the property, echoing its existing casinos at Lake Chelan, Coulee Dam and Omak.
The Colville’s 2002 tribal-state gaming compact shows casino-related activity lowered the unemployment rate and provide millions to support health care for its members, one of the most underserved groups in the U.S., according to documents available through the Freedom of Information Act.
It opened an office at the property and its representative, Billy Gun, is a frequent participant in community events.
The tribes inked agreements with local governments, including the city of Pasco, Franklin County PUD, the Franklin County Sheriff and the Port of Pasco, to provide services to future development.
The Colville view Pasco as the traditional homeland of several of its constituent tribes, particularly the Palus.
Approval process
The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, signed by President Ronald Reagan, authorizes tribal casinos and spells out the process for setting them up on sites that aren’t on reservations.
In April, the Colville initiated the fee-to-trust process for the Pasco site with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, within the Department of the Interior. The next step is an exhaustive Environmental Impact Review. Once sufficient progress is made on the EIS, the Colville apply for approval for gaming on trust lands.
Final approval rests with the secretary of the Interior, with concurrence from the governor.
Gov. Jay Inslee will no longer be in office, but Washington governors have a history of approving tribal casino requests, with 27 tribes operating 35 casinos across the state.
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