Gambling Commission, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Reach Agreement on Gaming Compact Amendment

Washington State Gambling Commissioners and Ex-Officios voted 6-0 on Thursday to approve a Class
III compact amendment with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe that will include new provisions for the
Tribe and new provisions that don't exist in other tribes' compacts.


The amended compact will be sent to Governor Jay Inslee for his signature.


This compact amendment represents a great opportunity for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and their
gaming operations, offering customers unique opportunities. It's the result of comprehensive
negotiations between the Washington State Gambling Commission and Muckleshoot Tribal government,
said Gambling Commission Chairman Bud Sizemore.


Below is a summary of the major changes in the proposed amendment. (Full amendment attached)

  • Allows operation of 125 gaming tables in one gaming facility or a combination of two
  • facilities.
  • Allows designated area for 25% of table games in operation to offer up to $1,000
  • wagers and limited tables can offer up to $5,000 wagers after customer screening.
  • Allows operation of 4,000 player terminals in one gaming facility or a combination
  • of two facilities.
  • Allows $30 wagers at the player terminals in operation.
  • Allows for extension of credit to qualified customers, based on screening criteria
  • set out in the appendix, and documented in a memorandum of understanding.
  • Provides additional funding for problem gambling treatment.
  • Provides additional funding for charitable contributions.
  • Establishes a moratorium on additional changes until six months after Problem
  • Gambling Task Force completes its report.
  • Adds a framework to review and approve a wide-area progressive connected to the
  • Tribal Lottery System.
  • Adds a framework for new security features for the Tribal Lottery System.

This gaming compact amendment will help keep our casino a competitive gaming and entertainment
facility and thereby help ensure resources needed to fund important tribal government programs and
services for our community to keep pace with a growing need, said Muckleshoot Tribal Council Chair
Jaison Elkins. It also makes possible greater levels of funding for charitable contributions and
problem gambling programs.

Next Steps:

  • Once the Tribal Chair signs the amendment, it will be sent to the Governor for final consideration and signature.
  • 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 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
February 19, 1993, and this is the seventh amendment.