Eklutna and Douglas Island Casino Plans Put on Hold

Two high-profile Alaska tribal gaming projects have been forced into limbo following the U.S. Department of the Interior’s September 25 withdrawal of Solicitor’s Opinion M-37079. The decision, issued under the Trump administration, affects both the Native Village of Eklutna’s permanent casino in Birchwood and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s gaming hall on Douglas Island.

Eklutna Halts Birchwood Expansion

The Native Village of Eklutna had prepared to build the 58,000-square-foot Chin’an Gaming Hall near Birchwood Airport, a facility designed to host hundreds of electronic gaming machines and at least two restaurants. Tribal leaders promoted the project as a significant economic driver, estimating up to $70 million in annual impact.

Construction plans advanced after a 2024 Biden-era opinion expanded tribal jurisdiction over Alaska Native allotments, which allowed the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) to approve Eklutna’s gaming ordinance. The tribe subsequently launched a temporary hall in January 2025, made from six modular units and offering about 85 electronic bingo machines. It opened briefly on Jan. 20–21 before a public opening on Feb. 3.

The permanent hall’s construction was paused once the Interior rescinded the opinion. “We’ve already begun clearing the site with our hopes of starting construction on the permanent facility soon, if we can get clarity on what this new federal ruling means,” said Aaron Leggett, president of the Native Village of Eklutna, as Anchorage Daily News reports.

For now, the temporary hall continues to operate with around 30 employees and a growing base of local patrons. “We are open and expect to stay that way for generations,” Leggett said.

Douglas Island Facility in Question

The reversal also impacts the Tlingit and Haida’s casino project on Douglas Island, where their ordinance was approved by the NIGC in January 2025. The project, located on the Jimmie George Allotment, was one of the first developments to move forward under the Biden-era opinion.

Tlingit and Haida officials said they anticipated the change. “Tlingit & Haida is aware of the U.S. Department of the Interior action to withdraw the solicitor’s decision. We also anticipated the action,” stated tribal president Richard Peterson. “We are reviewing internally and remain committed to exercising our Tribal sovereignty to preserve sovereignty, enhance economic and cultural resources and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for Tribal citizens.”

Alaska’s Attorney General Stephen Cox praised the reversal, saying it “restores the jurisdictional balance Congress intended and courts have repeatedly affirmed.” The state has long argued that the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 extinguished most tribal jurisdiction except for the Metlakatla Indian Community.

Two lawsuits already challenge the Birchwood facility. One was filed by residents opposing the project, while the state sued in February 2025, arguing federal agencies overstepped their authority. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is now reviewing one of the cases. Anchorage attorney Don Mitchell, representing local residents, called the memo “a positive development” and said he hoped regulators would revoke approval and “unplug its machines.”

Despite legal hurdles, Eklutna leaders stress that casino revenue is crucial for tribal programs, including housing, jobs, and education. “So we finally see this as a way for us to not only build up our people, but to build up our community,” Leggett said. Without the permanent facility, he noted, many initiatives would become “multi-decade” projects rather than near-term realities.

At present, both the Birchwood and Douglas Island ventures remain active in limited capacity, but their future depends on how federal agencies and the courts interpret the Interior Department’s reversal.