"Over the past decade or so, Washington voters have opposed three initiatives to expand gambling in our state, with the most recent vote occurring in 2004.

During a similar period, tribal gaming revenues in Washington have jumped exponentially, from $50 million in 1996 to $900 million in 2004.

Public officials should take heed. That's why, as an ex-officio board member of the state Gambling Commission, I opposed the initial agreement between the Gambling Commission and the Spokane Tribe in 2005 to bring tens of thousands more slot machines to our state.

The 27 other Washington tribes that conduct gambling all have negotiated compacts with the state that allow the state to have a hand in limiting the scope of gambling statewide. Those compacts limit each tribe to 675 slot machines. (Tribes can buy machines from another tribe's allotment, which is why some tribes have casinos with more than 2,000 slot machines.)

For 15 years, the Spokanes had been the only tribe operating a tribal casino without a gaming compact -- in essence, thumbing their noses at the state and at all other tribes that have negotiated compacts.

Finally, in 2005, Gov. Chris Gregoire took a strong leadership role in bringing the Spokanes to the table to remedy the problem. "

Get the Story:
State Sen. Margarita Prentice: Gov. Gregoire keeps lid on Pandora's Box (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 6/19)