The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved the Coquille Indian Tribe’s plan to develop a 30,000-square-foot casino in Medford, Oregon. This milestone follows a protracted 13-year review process that had faced staunch opposition from rival tribes and lawmakers.
The decision, finalized on January 10, allows the Coquille Tribe to place a 2.42-acre property into federal trust, classifying it as part of the tribe’s sovereign lands. This clears the way for the proposed casino, which is strategically located near Interstate 5 to attract a larger population of gamblers.
“Today the Biden Administration sent a clear message: it stands with Indian Country and intends to honor its commitments to tribal sovereignty,” said Brenda Meade, chair of the Coquille Tribe. “Waiting almost 13 years for an environmental review process to evaluate two acres was a ridiculous weaponization of the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.”
The tribe currently operates The Mill Casino in North Bend, 170 miles from Medford. While the new casino is set to expand the Coquille’s footprint in Oregon’s competitive gambling market, not everyone is in favor of the move.
Critics of the approval include Oregon’s senior U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, who argue that the project undermines state gambling agreements and could ignite an unregulated expansion of tribal casinos.
“This reckless choice by D.C. bureaucrats catapults Oregon into an uncontrolled escalation of gambling with no end in sight,” Wyden said. “I will fight this senseless decision with all the options available, including the Congressional Review Act.”
The Cow Creek Band and two Northern California tribes immediately filed for a temporary restraining order to block the casino, disputing the Coquille’s ancestral claims to the Medford area.
“This attempt to manipulate the system for one tribe’s gain is a disservice to all Tribal people,” said Carla Keene, chair of the Cow Creek Band. The Cow Creek’s casino is about 70 miles north of Medford, making it the Oregon tribe most likely to be hurt by a Medford casino.
Oregon has long operated under a one-tribe, one-casino policy, although it is not legally binding. Governor Tina Kotek and other elected officials have expressed concern about potential disruptions to this unofficial framework, which limits tribal casinos to reservation lands, if a Medford casino is approved.
The state also relies heavily on lottery revenue, creating a tense dynamic as tribal casinos compete for gambling dollars.
Meanwhile, proponents of the Medford casino say it will bolster the Coquille Tribe’s economic independence and set a precedent for federal agencies to honor their trust obligations to tribal nations.
“Many of our elders walked on without seeing their vision to care for our people come to fruition,” Meade said. “No tribe should endure the anguish and expense we have faced.”
