The Tulalip Tribes of Washington got into the gaming business with a bingo hall in 1982. Now the tribe is diversifying its economy with other types of development.

The tribe's main economic engine is the Quil Ceda Village. The village is home to a Home Depot, a Wal-Mart and more than a dozen other stores, banks and restaurants. An outlet mall was added in 2005 and a amphitheater came in 2006.

"The vision is diversification," John McCoy, a tribal member and the general manager of Quil Ceda Village, told The New York Times. McCoy also serves in the state Legislature.

The tribe hasn't abandoned gaming either. A new casino opened in 2003 and a$130 million hotel is under construction at the village.

"We can do what we’re doing because of location, location, location," he said.

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Near Seattle, Tribal Casinos Lead to Even Bigger Bets (The New York Times 11/14)
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