DOI approves Coquille Tribal Casino development in Oregon
The Medford project has taken 13 years to approve.
Key Points
- The Tribe first applied for project approval in 2012
- Other local tribes have filed in court to block development
The federal government has recently given the Coquille Tribe the greenlight to move forward with a casino development project in Medford, Oregon, according to a Williamette Week news report.
The project was approved by the US Department of the Interior January 10. This was the final step in a 13-year process for the Coquille Tribe’s latest casino.
The Tribe first submitted an application to build a 30,000-square-foot casino on its 2.42-acre Medford property in 2012.
Coquille Tribe Chair Brenda Meade released a statement to local news regarding the approval.
Meade commented, “Today the Biden Administration sent a clear message: it stands with Indian Country and intends to honor its commitments to tribal sovereignty.
“Waiting almost 13 years for an environmental review process to review two acres was a ridiculous weaponization of the federal National Environmental Policy Act process used to punish the Coquille Tribe for taking a legal course of action to provide for its own citizens after termination.”
However, not everyone is in favor of the DOI’s decision.
Good to know: Cow Creek has a casino located close to 70 north of Medford
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and two Northern California Tribes have filed in US District Court for a temporarily restraining order to block the Coquille casino project. The court order was filed in part due to a land dispute.
Cow Creek chair Carla Keene said in a statement to local news, “We cannot stand passively and allow this decision to stand uncontested given the harm it will cause across Indian Country in our progress toward the full restoration of our rights as sovereign nations — which is directly tied to our ancestral homelands.
“This attempt to manipulate the system for one Tribe’s gain is a disservice to all Tribal people.”
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
