Editorial: Review Spokane off-reservation casino plan

Monday, March 16, 2009  

"The Spokane Indian Tribe, the author of so much of the region’s history, has a glittering vision for the future. It’s a vision of bright lights, excited crowds, whirring slot machines and lots and lots of money.

In Airway Heights, at the heart of what the federal government would term the Spokanes’ “exclusive aboriginal territory,” the tribe wants to build what would be the Inland Northwest’s biggest casino with a hotel, concert hall and dramatically landscaped grounds.

One casino already exists in Airway Heights, of course. The Northern Quest Casino is owned and operated by the Kalispel Tribe, whose traditional lands are to the north in the area surrounding its reservation near Usk. Northern Quest has been resoundingly successful, generating revenue to fund health and education for tribal members, contribute to civic causes in the Spokane area and support local government.

The Spokanes hope for the same. They were attempting to do generally that with the two casinos they already operate on their reservation – until Northern Quest was built on the West Plains, closer to the urban gamblers who previously traveled to the Spokanes’ more remote facilities.

We honor the aspirations of both tribes, but we have misgivings about this kind of expansion. We wonder just how much big-league gambling is necessary. How many outlets are required to feed the futile dreams of desperate people risking their families’ financial stability in the hope of instant riches?"

Get the Story:
Our View: Spokane Tribe’s plans merit thorough review (The Spokesman Review 3/13)