Oregon Tribal Gaming

The Oregon constitution prohibits commercial casinos, but Native American tribes have been offering Class II and Class III gaming since 1992, when the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians' compact was first approved.

In April 2005, Gov. Kulongoski and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs renegotiated their tribal compact to allow the tribe to build a 500,000-square-foot off-reservation casino resort 40 miles east of Portland. The compact included a revenue-sharing agreement that called on the tribe to contribute 17% of its annual gross gaming revenue to two new funds – one for environmental protection, economic development and higher education opportunities, and the other for charitable organizations throughout the state.

The casino was never built. In March 2008, the Grande Ronde Tribe challenged the legality of Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs' planned Cascade Locks casino as it was located off reservation land.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued its final environmental impact statement for the Cascade Locks casino proposal in August 2010. The project then awaited final approval from the Interior Secretary, which never came. In 2012, the option for the casino land expired, and in 2013, the tribe elected not to pursue the casino project.