Grand Ronde Tribes still working on plans at former racetrack

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Chairman Reyn Leno, far left, attends the demolition ceremony for the old Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village, Oregon, on June 28, 2016. Photo from Facebook

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Has a public relations firm spilled the beans on a new tribal gaming facility in Oregon?

Probably not but speculation is growing as the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde weigh plans for a former racetrack right outside of Portland, the largest city in the state. Officially, the tribe hasn't decided whether to offer gaming, but a spokesperson basically said it was on the table.

“They haven’t made any decisions in terms of what kinds of gaming they may have on site,” Nancy Hamilton told The Portland Tribune. “They will have legal gaming … probably within the confines of the hotel.”

If the tribe intends to pursue gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the old Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village would have to be placed in trust. But Class III gaming would appear to be out of the question because the tribe's current compact limits the tribe to one Class III facility, The Tribune points out.

Multnomah Greyhound Park demolition ceremony in Wood Village on Tuesday, June 28.
Posted by The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on Thursday, June 30, 2016

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on Facebook: Multnomah Greyhound Park demolition ceremony
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The tribe, however, could still offer Class II games if the 31-acre parcel were placed in trust. Or it could try to renegotiate the Class III agreement.

Alternatively, the tribe could pursue gaming outside of the framework of IGRA and avoid land-into-trust and compact issues altogether.

The racetrack is considered a prime location for the tribe due to looming competition from neighboring Washington. The Cowlitz Tribe is due to open the ilani Casino Resort in April 2017 at a location only about 25 mile north of downtown Portland.

The Portland market is extremely important to the Grand Ronde Tribes, whose Spirit Mountain Casino is about 60 miles from downtown.

The Grand Ronde Tribes and its allies have been trying to stop the new casino but the federal courts have consistently ruled for the Cowlitz Tribe. Grand Ronde is planning to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the dispute.

Read More on the Story:
B-I-N-G-O: How the Grand Ronde might spell casino at former Greyhound Park (The Portland Tribune 9/20) $P D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon v. Jewell (July 29, 2016)