- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Gaming
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has received federal authorization to develop a gaming facility on Douglas Island, positioning the tribe to open what would be only the second tribally operated casino-like venue currently operating in the state.
On Aug. 23, the National Indian Gaming Commission approved an amended tribal gaming ordinance. The ordinance designates a 20-acre lot, called the Jimmie George allotment after its original allottee, as the site of a future casino project.
Tlingit and Haida spokesperson Dixie Hutchinson confirmed to local radio station KTOO that the tribe plans to offer Class II gaming, such as bingo and slot machines, at the new facility. The development could also include a lodge, restaurant, gift shop, business enterprises and tribal government offices.
For Tlingit and Haida, the NIGC ruling represents both a legal milestone and an economic opportunity. The tribe, one of Alaska's largest federally recognized entities with more than 37,000 enrolled citizens, plans to reinvest gaming revenues into core services.
“The plan aligns with Tlingit and Haida's broader mission to expand revenue-generating opportunities that support essential programs and services for tribal citizens,” Hutchinson wrote in an email to KTOO.
Construction is already underway on the Douglas Island site, though no public opening date has been announced. The Douglas Island approval follows a February 2024 opinion from U.S. Department of the Interior Solicitor Robert Anderson that recognized Alaska Native allotments as falling under the same jurisdictional principles as allotments in the Lower 48.
That change cleared the way for the NIGC's approval of a similar gaming hall operated by the Native Village of Eklutna — a decision currently being challenged in federal court.
After the village opened Chin'an Gaming Hall in January this year, nearby residents sued to stop the hall from operating in their neighborhood, followed shortly by a state suit to reverse the BIA solicitor's opinion and close the casino. Both suits are ongoing.
