What happened to Tri-Cities 1st tribal casino plan? New report released
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- Bureau of Indian Affairs released a 323-page roadmap to guide the EIS.
- The EIS will evaluate 4 alternatives, including the proposed casino and no development.
- Yakama and Umatilla tribes oppose off‑reservation Colville plan citing 1855 treaty rights.
The federal government is preparing to start an exhaustive environmental review of controversial plans to build the Tri-Cities’ first tribal casino.
This week, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) released a 323-page roadmap that will guide creation of an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The EIS is a key step in the review of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation’s application to establish a Tri-Cities 12 Tribes Casino near Pasco’s King City Truck Stop.
The move comes after BIA conducted a heated hearing in April 2024 to take comments on what the environmental review should consider.
More than 100 people commented, including opponents from rival tribes who lodged claims to the territory and defended their own casino interests.
A spokeswoman for the Colville, based in Ritzville, told the Tri-City Herald the confederation of a dozen tribes is pleased the report has been released.
The Colville want the scrutiny of an EIS, she said.
The Colville launched efforts to create a 160-acre casino, hotel and event complex when it purchased agricultural land there in 2019.
“We are excited to keep the project moving forward and appreciate the community’s participation and the major stakeholders’ support for the project in this process,” it said.
Issues raised in 2024 helped determine the scope of the EIS.
While the Colville enjoy local support, the Yakama Nation in Toppenish and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, east of Pendleton in northeast Oregon, are formidable opponents.
The Yakama and Umatilla, which operate casinos within their own reservations, say the Colville plan for an off-reservation gaming facility violates their respective 1855 treaty rights.
That’s the year the U.S. government entered treaties with the tribes that ensure access to resources in their ceded territories. That includes the Mid-Columbia.
In one of the more volatile moments in 2024, a critic said allowing off-reservation casinos to compete with nearby on-reservation ones could start an “Indian war.”
The Colville operate three smaller casinos within their reservation and claim the Tri-Cities through the Palus, one of the 12 member bands. The Yakama also claim the Palus.
In a nod to its critics, the Colville told the Herald the tribes continue to welcome public comment and engagement as the EIS process proceeds.
Four alternatives
The EIS will consider the potential impacts of four alternatives and is based on the 2024 input, which included more than 100 oral and written comments.
- Alternative A: Project as proposed: 175,000-square-foot casino with 2,000 slots and 30 table games and dining, 200-room hotel, 114,400-square-foot event center and central plant, 1,500 parking spots.
- Alternative B: Reduced intensity casino. 108,700-square-foot casino with dining, 1,500 parking places. No hotel or event center.
- Alternative C: No gaming facilities. Three 117,500-square-foot retail warehouses, 500 parking places.
- Alternative D: No development.
The list excludes several suggestions, including one that the various tribes collaborate, on legal grounds as well as economic ones.
The Colville said a larger Tri-Cities casino will provide more support for its 9,290 enrolled members than the smaller on-reservation ones it currently operates.
Elected leaders divided
While the Colville have built support among public officials in Pasco, politicians representing communities in the Yakima Valley spoke against the plan.
In 2024, lawmakers representing communities from Yakima to the Tri-Cities submitted similar letters based on a common template.
“Although we do not oppose Colville opening a new casino, we respectfully recommend that they do so within their own territory,” said letters signed by Washington State Sens. Curtis King, R-14th and Matt Boehnke, R-8th, Washington State Reps. Gina Mosbrucker, R-14th and Chris Corry, R-14th.
Yakima County Commissioners LaDon Lindand and Kyle Curtis also signed similar letters, as did Washington State Reps. Skyler Rude, R-16th, Mark Klicker, R-16th, and April Connors, R-8th.
“We urge you to reject authorizing expansion of gaming in Yakama treaty territory without the Yakama Nations’ express consent,” they wrote.
There are no letters supporting the casino from local elected officials in the scoping report issued this week.
Project background
The Colville paid $2.9 million for a collection of parcels near Highway 395 and Kartchner in Pasco in 2019. It shared its plans for the casino complex and approached local officials for support.
Notably, the city of Pasco and the Colville agreed to cooperate on developing the land in 2019. At the time, possibilities also included a water park and a service station.
In 2023, it officially launched the process to secure federal approval, as spelled out in the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
It submitted a “Fee-to-Trust” application to BIA to place the property into a federal trust, a step in the process toward development.
Under the Colville compact with the state of Washington, it can open up to six casinos. While federal approval is key, the final decision rests with the governor of the state where the casino is located.
Now-former Gov. Jay Inslee routinely approved tribal casinos. There are about 35 tribal casinos in Washington.
Tribal gambling represented $2.85 billion of $4 billion in net gambling receipts in 2024, according to the most recent figures from the Washington State Gambling Commission.
The 12 Tribes Tri-Cities Casino would be the first tribal gaming facility in the community, though there are several private gaming rooms and casinos in the area.
Go to colvilleeis.com.