Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians reaches tentative agreement with Gambling Commission on proposed gaming compact amendment

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) has reached a tentative agreement with the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians on an amendment to its Class III gaming compact. The proposed amendment includes provisions that already exist in other tribal compacts for electronic table games and addresses two provisions recently disapproved by the Department of Interior. (full amendment).

Washington State Gambling Commission Chairperson Alicia Levy said of the tentative compact amendment: “We appreciate the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indian’s continued efforts in working with us through better understanding the U.S. Department of Interior’s concerns with two compact provisions, ensuring that we can continue to keep our state’s gaming legal and honest.”

The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians Chair Eric White said “The Stillaguamish Tribe looks forward to our continued collaboration and partnership with the Washington State Gaming Commission. This relationship underscores a mutual commitment to fostering a sustainable gaming environment that benefits all stakeholders while honoring the Stillaguamish people's cultural heritage and economic aspirations. Together, we aim to set a standard for responsible gaming practices that can serve as a model for others.”

Next Steps:

  1. Formal notification about the proposed compact amendment was conveyed to the Governor, Legislature and others.
  2. The Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade Committee and the House Regulated Substances & Gaming Committee will tentatively hold a joint public hearing on November 7, 2024.
  3. The Gambling Commission will vote at its public meeting on November 14, 2024, 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 Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians’ tribal-state compact for Class III gaming was originally signed on December 11, 2020, and this is the fifth amendment. Public comments regarding this compact amendment may be submitted to compactcomments@wsgc.wa.gov.