Endorsements and editorials are made solely by the ownership of this newspaper. As is the case at most newspapers across the nation, The Spokesman-Review newsroom and its editors are not a part of this endorsement process. (Learn more.)
Editorial: Caution advisable as casinos get on a roll
The money must be difficult to resist, but a long-term outlook ought to be adopted before tribal gambling is expanded on the West Plains. On Tuesday, the Spokane County commission voted to not oppose the Spokane Tribe’s effort to build a large casino complex in Airway Heights.
The Spokanes have many obstacles to hurdle before gaining federal approval. In the meantime, the tribe would make annual payments to the county and city of Airway Heights that start at $14,500 and increase to $29,000. If the feds approve the casino, then payments would jump to $600,000 and top out at $1.5 million.
But this issue has ramifications beyond reliable proceeds to local governments.
The Spokanes’ casino would be “off-reservation.” The tribe purchased the land in the late 1990s and had it taken into federal trust to avoid taxation and local land-use restrictions. The Indian Gaming Act of 1988 generally prohibits the building of casinos on land purchased after the law was enacted.
When the feds granted the Kalispels an off-reservation waiver for Northern Quest Casino, it was one of only three such deals in the nation. The tribe had to demonstrate that it didn’t have reservation land suitable for a casino. The Spokanes already have two casinos, so they couldn’t qualify on those grounds.
The consequences of allowing another off-reservation casino could be far-reaching. We can certainly understand why the tribe would want to locate in Airway Heights. It is close to a large population center and it only seems fair since Northern Quest is there. But multiply that argument times the number of applications that would come flooding in and the country would see a substantial expansion of tribal gambling.
The prospect of “reservation shopping” is also a valid concern. The Cowlitz, a landless tribe in Western Washington, wants to build a giant casino. The main financial backer is the Mohegan Tribe, which has become wealthy from its Connecticut casinos. This is just one of many potential deals with tribal and nontribal investors that could be approved with a liberalizing of the 1988 law.
We are not opposed to Indian casinos, which have proven to be a reliable source of money to expand and sustain vital services for tribal members. But off-reservation casinos can erode the tax bases of nearby communities and widen the spread of gambling-related social ills.
Sensible controls should be maintained before this slope gets too slippery.