ORLA Position on Casino Proliferation

It has long been held that federally recognized Native American tribes are considered sovereign nations that hold the right to self-government within the boundaries of their tribal lands. This includes the right to engage in economic activity on reservation lands, specifically gambling.

While tribal casinos are largely thought of as competition only to state lotteries, the truth is they enjoy a competitive advantage in comparison to other hospitality industry businesses as well. Oregon has some of the highest labor costs in the nation, and the rising costs associated with employee benefits is creating an escalating challenge for Oregon’s restaurant and lodging properties.

Local economic impact of additional casino location proposals is and will continue to be of serious concern to ORLA members. Our position since April of 2008 has been as follows: Changes to current federal and state gaming policies should not be made for the purpose of allowing off-reservation casinos, tribal or private.

For more information on ORLA’s policy relating to casinos, please contact Greg Astley.