Washington has 29, which are operated by 22 tribes. There are reportedly 474 tribal casinos in 29 states. The act authorized tribal casinos in states that don’t ban them, a group that includes Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The process for establishing tribal casinos is spelled out in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The 16-step federal procedure is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and handled through the Indian Gaming Commission. Lewis called the move by the Colville “upsetting” in a letter to the Herald, after it wrote about the fee-to-trust news. The Colville recently confirmed they initiated the development process by submitting a request to transfer 184 acres near Pasco’s King City Truck Stop into a federal trust. We only have one,” Gerald Lewis, chair of the Yakama Nation, told the Herald, referring to Legends Casino & Hotel in Toppenish.
