After a weekend of working furiously through the nights to open up a gambling operation in a trailer parked in a muddy construction zone, the Village of Eklutna says it now has gambling up and running near Peters Creek, in the city of Anchorage. The action was taken quickly to prevent the new Trump Administration from delaying the operation, which is already facing a lawsuit from neighbors who object to the impact on the residential area.
Two trailers pushed together are the casino, and a couple of more on site appear to house 24-hours security guards.
Aaron Leggett, president of the Eklutna Native Village, published a comment on Monday:
“Today it is official, the Chin’an Gaming Hall has begun operation. This represents a historic milestone in the journey toward true self-determination for the Native Village of Eklutna. Chin’an means ‘thank you’ in Dena’ina/Athabascan,” he said.
“I promise that safety and respect for our neighbors and customers are our top priorities in our operations,” Leggett said, although the unsightly mud-hole gambling casino is not welcomed by some of the neighbors in the formerly quiet neighborhood.
“The Native Village of Eklutna wants to thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs staff and management for all their hard work on the Environmental Assessment, which was an extremely comprehensive review of the project. I also want to thank the Eklutna staff and Tribal Council,” he said. The operation will employ over 400 people at some point, when the final building and parking area is complete,” he said.
In fact, after the public comment period ended on Jan. 9, the BIA gave its approval within one week and published a lengthy notification that appears to have been prepared well in advance.
“Our Tribe has struggled for many years to develop a strong tribal economy that will allow us to take the best care of our people and to be a positive partner to all our neighbors. Our now-opened gaming hall presents an incredible opportunity to reach these goals. The project’s revenue will provide critical benefits not just to the Tribe, but also to the surrounding community. It will enable the Tribe to support housing and healthcare initiatives, employment opportunities, job training, scholarships, and cultural enhancement programs in the community,” Leggett said.
Leggett also said it will bring $67 million in economic activity to the municipality. While it’s a trailer-park operation, it will only be open to eight people at one time, but will expand in coming weeks, he said.
“We recognize gaming is new to southcentral Alaska; however, there are many successful, safe, casinos across the United States that prioritize a great partnership between the surrounding community, the Tribal government, and state and local governments. We are committed to upholding that standard at the Chin’an Gaming Hall.
“People may ask why we are moving so quickly. My community and people have waited decades for this opportunity, and we want to begin generating economic benefits as soon as possible,” Leggett said.
The Native Village of Eklutna and the Municipality of Anchorage, through Democrat Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, have an interim intergovernmental agreement under which the village will help offset the costs of public safety services to the parcel. This agreement will provide a steady, predictable funding stream for local first responders, Leggett said. But the gambling operation will give no tax dollars to the city or state and it may not generate much in actual economic activity, other than move money from one pocket to another. New dollars would have to come from tourism.
For now, the tribe will be trucking in water and it’s unclear how wastewater will be managed, but it appears to be through portables. The village promises it will not impact Peters Creek, even though water table issues are a very big problem in the area.
Since early October the neighborhood has pleaded with the State of Alaska to appeal the decision of the Indian Gaming Commission. The governor has not announced a decision.
“…after the public comment period ended on Jan. 9, the BIA gave its approval within one week and published a lengthy notification that appears to have been prepared well in advance.”
The too often “slower than snails in the Sahara” federal bureaucracy can take years to approve/permit any kind of development. This unheard of fast track approval by both the woke feds and the woke mayor/assembly to set up gambling shop immediately prior to the inauguration of a non-woke administration would certainly make any common sense taxpayer go “Hmmm ? “
Well… when you get in one of big casino operators in Los Vegas to agree to run the place.. things happen fast…. Organized crime is pretty good with that. Nope.. nothing to worry about out here.
I hope Trump or our State Government shuts this down because of the selfish desire by Eklutna to take down the dam.
In the song by U2, Every Breaking Waves “And every gambler knows that to lose Is what you’re really there for”. Eklutna Tribe is not getting one penny from me…unfortunately the pull tab bunch now has a new and faster way to the poorer house.
Stupid people do stupid things.
The Native Village of Eklutna, along with Eklutna Corporation, are purely selfish, short-sighted and malicious scum. First they try to get the Eklutna Dam torn down for their own petty and minor self-interest, and now this God-awful eyesore and disruption in the rural Birchwood community.
I despise them all.
There’s no hate like Christian love.
Sweetie, we live you, but we know you are just a petty ass.
Not sure I make that connection WTD. Christ always demands that we stand up to those, who do evil.
You miss the much bigger picture, if the Eklutna tribe gets away with lawlessness, then ANY Native corporation can do the same and we will devolve into a lawless chaotic state where the average non-native citizen no longer has any rights. The settlement act specifically sought to avoid just this particular scenario by compensating tribes for the land. It always fascinates me that those, who scream “oppression and unfairness” the loudest are the meanest and most ardent pursuers of revenge and oppression of those they hate!
Dog; you’re giving us respectable atheists a bad name. No one mentioned their religion regarding their stance against the casino.
Maybe you need Jesus in your life….
How do I join the lawsuit?
Casinos are degenerate, this is the same “tribe” opposing hydro electricity and natural gas for “sacred waters”, and shut down a quarry on a “sacred hill”. They are a joke.
Gaming. What a crock. It’s gambling and everyone with a room temp IQ knows it.
Nice going away present by Halaand and co. Maybe a means to make money. Also a means to bring the worst of Alaska to tiny Eklutna.
That’s just it… it’s NOT in Eklutna! It’s in Chugiak/ Peters Creek. Heaven forbid they build it in their backyard.
When did Eklutna become the driving force in Anchorage?
Not bad for a village of maybe 75 people.
Yes, excellent question, TMA.
I will say it again, having lived around Eklutna for 25 years: the Eklutna natives, and the Eklutna Corporation, are the nightmare neighbors that NOBODY wants near them.
Answer to your question “when” would be the same time Berkowitz Californicated the Assembly with his cronies.
It is like maggots eating on a wounded animal. They multiply.
Curious, liquor permit, gaming commission (is there one)?
Sounds fishy to me, no wonder residents are worried.
Not a peep from local and/or State politicians ?
Alaska transparency at its finest!!
I’ll bet it smells fishy too. Mud bog, porta potties, trucked in water. It should be shut down for sanitation/public health concerns. Not a Reno/Las Vegas experience Hah!
according to the ADN article: Gov. Dunleavy’s administration, in its 27-page document outlining priorities and requests of the new Trump administration, asked the incoming administration to overturn an Interior Department ruling issued last year called the Anderson Opinion, which determined whether Alaska Native tribes have legal jurisdiction on Native allotments — one of the key mechanisms through which the Eklutna project advanced.
That explains why they are rushing to get things going which this coverage did not mention. I was lost on why Trump would intervene in this issue.
Peeps want to control everything but not be controlled. That’s special.
Excellent observation GGF. Also, freedom of speech except for speech they don’t like, freedom of religion provided that it’s theirs, and freedom in general unless you’re a pregnant woman.
Classic hypocrites. They dont/can’t see it.
Dog, you old clump of cells you!
Why do you always add in religion? Do you not realize that the only reference to religion in any of these comments comes from you? Seems like you are barking simply to get a rise out of the readers and commenters on this site. This is the classic definition of trolling. Do you like being a troll?
WTD I am making to assumption that you are NOT a woman. Kindly keep your prejudice to yourself and thank the good Lord that your mother made the choice to honor life instead of a death!
Dog, I’m an atheist and oppose this casino.
I guess I was wrong. So how is Marnell Gaming of Las Vegas part of this? Hard to believe they would want to be associated with this.
Suzanne LaFrance is not a registered Democrat, she’s always been an independent
➡️ The Native Village of Eklutna and the Municipality of Anchorage, through Democrat Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, have an interim intergovernmental agreement under which the village will help offset the costs of public safety services to the parcel⬅️
I don’t care how she is registered; she is an incompetent disappointment. What pittance the Village coughs up for “public safety services” won’t pay for the loss of peace and quiet, and won’t straighten and widen the road. I was kind of expecting the usual “public service” promises put forth by the gambling enterprises. The Village will not even likely maintain control of their own enterprise, and Chugiak will become another gambling crime haven operated by outsiders.
Independent is the word for “in the closet Democrat.”
…..and??
Bad, callously self-serving, virtue signaling lawless decision making are a personal character flaw regardless of what political persuasion you claim (or not). The Eklunta tribe/Inc is NOT a government. They are a corporation like Exxon, if you make excuses at least let them make sense!
Sure smells of a load of stinky corruption.
How very fitting that a trailer trash casino might spring from a group best known for getting tanked up on a moldy four seasons couch and shooting out street lights within 30.06 range.
These clowns could barely manage a fire pit. There’s a disaster on the horizon for certain.
A great deal of money is being spent on building this casino. Money the Eklutna Corporation doesn’t have. I wonder who is financing this project and what their motivation is.
Marnell gaming..they are a large Las Vegas casino company. They operate the Bellagio and one other in Las Vegas. Marnell Gaming will take a great deal of the proceeds out of the Alaska economy.
A few years from now eklutna is going to be sued for impacting salmon runs on peters creek.
If you cared in the least about the people impacted by your little venture, you would have at least asked our opinions before you set out to degrade the neighborhood. It appears that your project is driven by greed far more than any more noble sentiments. You make me sick.
WOOOOOHOOOOOOO! Way to go Eklutna – way to go!!!
All these trolls will be standing in line to get into your casino, sell their land that reaches higher value because of this commercial venture, want to be a vendor responding to a RFQ competing to offer good’s and services, or applying to be the recipient of your charitable giving plan.
Rock on, Eklutna! I am sitting on the couch waving and cheering you on!
So proud!
Go get it!
With love, Trudy
So Trudy why is the Eklutna tribe not building this so fabulously wonderful enterprise(according to you) at THEIR VILLAGE??? They have highway access and way more land and would not have to be crammed into an existing neighborhood.
You are wrong the “trolls” will not participate in law-breaking!
Trudy; just how dense are you?
Electronic bingo and pull tabs? Sure to pull in the big money. What this state needs are access to some national lotteries and scratch-offs. Nothing more than that and a few bingo halls/pull tab shops. More than enough to feed Alaska’s habit
‘https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/SouthParkS7E7RedMansGreed
You realize refering to this particular South Park episode shows how greedy and opportunistic the natives are and how gullible we whiteys are.
Thomas, it’s a parody.
What about terms like, pursuing self-sufficiency, striving for a better life, and fighting for the American Dream?
Are those terms reserved for someone else, a different time, another place?
Do I need to be invited, or should I make a reservation?
Should I wait my turn?
Should I turn myself into a pretzel and hope someday to fit in, fit in so some mundane gatekeeper decides to wave me in to some arbitrary VIP section?
Entrepreneurship is pulling oneself up by their bootstraps, the pursuit of happiness and it is available to anyone.
How dense, selfish and clueless are you?
This would be a great reality show. What to name it?
Mud Puddle Poker
The Sands Hotel and Monte Carlo can’t hold a candle to this glamor spot. But … is there valet parking for my Lamborghini? Are there views of MT. McKINLEY? Has anyone spotted jet-set celebs? Has the crew from “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” shown up?
Lotto Alaska can advertise on TV,totally hypocritical to not allow gaming.
I have it on good word from a highly-placed official source in state government (which I cannot currently name) that a state lawsuit against this illegal move by the Eklutna natives is in the works, and will be presented imminently.
The janitor?
I’m gonna go ahead and call it the Chinaman gaming hall. And I ain’t takin’ that back.
I had submitted a comment to BIA regarding the location of this casino and that the local road system could not support that type of traffic . I got an email update from them today. Here it is.
NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
FOR THE EKLUTNA NATIVE VILLAGE GAMING FACILITY PROJECT
JANUARY 17, 2025
Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of the Interior has signed a
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and issued a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) dated January
2025 for the Eklutna Native Village Gaming Facility Project. The Final EA was completed in accordance
with requirements set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 United States Code [USC]
§4321 et seq.), the Department of the Interior’s Procedures for the Implementation of NEPA (43 CFR Part
46), the 2024 Council on Environmental Quality regulations for Implementing NEPA (40 CFR § 1500 et
seq.), and the BIA NEPA Handbook (59 Indian Affairs Manual 3-H), and assesses the potential
environmental impacts that could result from the BIA’s approval of a business lease between the Native
Allotment landowners and the Eklutna Native Village tribal government for the development and
operation of a class II gaming facility on the Project Site (Proposed Action). The Project Site consists of
6.37 acres within a restricted fee Native Allotment comprised of three parcels located near the
communities of Birchwood and Chugiak within the boundaries of the Municipality of Anchorage,
Alaska.
Based on the Final EA, it has been determined that the Proposed Action will not result in significant
adverse effects to the quality of the human environment; therefore, an environmental impact statement
is not required. The FONSI and Final EA are available online at: http://www.EklutnaEA.com
For further information, please contact Harrilene Yazzie, Division of Environmental & Cultural Resources
Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs – Alaska Region, at 907.271.4004, or by email at
[email protected].
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