OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington State Gambling Commission has reached a tentative agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe on an amendment to its Class III gaming compact. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe operates two casinos-- the Muckleshoot Casino I and Casino II, located in Auburn.
This compact amendment enhances the cooperative regulatory relationship between our respective governments in the area of Class III Gaming, and respects the sovereignty of each, said Gambling Commission Director David Trujillo. It also incorporates changes that are consistent with several other tribes' gaming compacts.
Below is a summary of the major changes in the proposed amendment. (Full amendment attached)
Player Terminal Allocations - The Tribe's allocation of player terminals (gaming machines) will be increased from 975 to 1,125. The maximum number of machines allowed at a single facility remains unchanged.
Appendix X2 Addendum - The Tribe may increase its allocation by 50 player terminals, but only if certain conditions are met.
Annual Regulatory Fees - Regulatory fees for the Tribe's gaming activities are determined according to the State's current cost allocation model. The amendment eliminates the 10% pre-payment discount, credit and alternative regulatory fee agreement options.
Next Steps:
1. Formal notification about the proposed compact amendment will be conveyed to the Governor, Legislature and others.
2. The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and the House Commerce and Gaming Committee will hold a joint public hearing on Sept. 6, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
3. The Gambling Commission will vote at its public meeting on Oct. 18, 2018, and decide whether or not to forward the proposed compact amendment to the Governor.
4. If the Commission votes to forward the Tribe's amendment, it will be sent to the Tribal Chair for final consideration and signature.
5. Once the Tribal Chair signs the amendment, it will be sent to the Governor for final consideration and signature.
6. After obtaining the signatures of the Tribal Chair and the Governor, the Tribe will send the amendment to the Secretary of the United States Department of Interior for consideration, signature and publication in the Federal Register.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 provides that Indian tribes may conduct Class III gaming activities on Indian lands when the gaming is conducted in conformance with a tribal-state compact. RCW 9.46.360 provides that the Gambling Commission negotiate those compacts on behalf of the state. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe's tribal-state compact for Class III gaming was originally signed on Feb. 19, 1993 and this is the fifth amendment. Public comments regarding this compact amendment may be submitted to compactcomments@wsgc.wa.gov.