NVE Gaming Hall Project
Q&A – Potential Tribal Gaming Hall, Native Village of Eklutna.
There will be more information to share along the way in our journey to open a potential gaming hall that would benefit the Eklutna people and our surrounding communities. We will update this page as more information becomes available. We appreciate your interest and look forward sharing more news over time.
Is the Native Village of Eklutna building a gaming hall?
The Native Village of Eklutna has cleared a small amount of land in an area that might ultimately lead to a gaming hall. However, there are still hurdles before us in our decades-long journey to open a potential gaming hall.
What would a potential gaming hall on Eklutna land look like?
If a gaming hall is built, it would be very modest. It would not be like the casinos operated in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or even some of the lower 48 tribal casinos. The Native Village of Eklutna has plans to open a restaurant in the proposed facility. At this time, no decision on operation hours or serving alcohol has been made.
What types of games would the gaming hall offer?
The potential gaming hall would be limited to electronic machines; there would be no card or table games. The proposed gaming hall could open with 350-500 electronic gaming machines and have the ability to expand to 700 machines. Typical Las Vegas casinos have over 2,000 machines.
How big would the gaming hall be?
The Eklutna gaming hall would be a modest facility situated on six acres of land and would be roughly 50,000 sq. ft. in size. The potential facility would be roughly the size of a large restaurant and one story tall. The surrounding acreage would be designated for parking and landscaping.
Where would the gaming hall be located?
An Eklutna gaming hall would be a short distance off the Glenn Highway in the Birchwood area near the airport and railroad.
What land would the Eklutna Gaming Hall be built on? Is this legal?
The hall would be built on Native allotment land set aside for tribal members many decades ago and under the Tribe’s jurisdiction. This is legal under federal law (the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act) and is completely unrelated to Indian tribes taking land into trust.
How would the local community be impacted?
The potential gaming hall would not be loud in its physical or audio presentation. The Native Village of Eklutna has always been a positive community member, and we want to work with all stakeholders to make a potential gaming hall a beneficial project in every possible way.
What would a gaming hall do for the Native Village of Eklutna?
Our Tribe has struggled for many years to develop a strong tribal economy that would allow us to take the better care of our people and to be a more supportive partner with the surrounding community. Our proposed gaming project presents a long-overdue opportunity to reach these goals.
What, if any, benefits would the gaming hall provide to the local community and/or nearby residents?
Revenue from an Eklutna gaming hall would enable the Tribe to provide much-needed support for its members, including housing, employment, job training, scholarships, cultural enhancement, and healthcare services.
The project would also benefit the surrounding economies. Among other things, the Tribe’s project would generate new job opportunities, which would be available to local residents.
Would the gaming hall compete with other forms of charitable gaming?
An Eklutna gaming hall would not replace other charitable gaming operations, nor the benefits they provide. Revenue generated from an Eklutna gaming hall would go back to the Tribe in the form of scholarships, housing, cultural enhancement, healthcare services, etc.
Can the public weigh in on the potential gaming hall?
Yes. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will announce a public comment period in the near future.