Trucks, excavators, heavy equipment, lumber, trailers, lights, construction workers, and security guards currently occupy a site about a mile west of the North Birchwood exit off the Glenn Highway. The Native Village of Eklutna seems to be scrambling to open their proposed casino before Donald Trump is sworn in as president on Monday.
The Native Village of Eklutna has partnered with Las Vegas-based Marnell Gaming, a major casino contractor whose portfolio includes the Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace, to build and run the casino. Neither has said how much money Marnell has invested in the project. What appear to be dozens of slot machines wrapped in cardboard are already onsite.Â
Just took these! https://t.co/OGZtbwdy6o pic.twitter.com/GQcps68a0w
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) January 18, 2025
For decades, starting under former President George H.W. Bush, the interpretation of law by the Department of the Interior (DOI) did not allow Indian gaming in Alaska. This is because in Alaska, the vast majority of Native-controlled lands were not considered “Indian country” – a legal term that has major implications for permitted activities on Lower 48 reservations.
A decision early last year by DOI Solicitor Robert Anderson – who has a long history with Alaska legal issues – reversed this longstanding interpretation, giving the Village of Eklutna a path to build and operate a casino on the 8-acre Ondola Allotment in Birchwood. Following Anderson’s decision, the Native Village of Eklutna almost immediately partnered with Marnell and began forming plans to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to Alaska on a large scale.Â
In September, we reported that a portion of the allotment had been cleared.Â
So it looks like the Native Village of Eklutna has cleared the land in Birchwood for their proposed casino, funded by Vegas based Marnell Gaming. There’s been little to no public awareness on this. It’s located a mile off the North Birchwood exit just before the railroad tracks. pic.twitter.com/mxZuL3Wn4Q
— The Alaska Landmine (@alaskalandmine) September 28, 2024
In December, a lawsuit was filed by eight Birchwood residents challenging the proposed casino and the tribal status of the Native Village of Eklutna.Â
When asked why he thinks they are moving so quick to open the casino, Don Mitchell, the attorney representing the Birchwood residents, told the Landmine, “Aaron Leggett, the president of the Native Village of Eklutna, has repeatedly said that they would open their casino late in 2025. The fact that they are doing this in the dead of night on Friday suggests to me that Anthony Marnell has been advised by his attorneys, or the attorneys for the Native Village of Eklutna, that their legal position is infirm, and that they may lose the lawsuit. They apparently think they may improve their legal position by changing their position on the ground. They are dead wrong about that.”Â
A spokesperson for the Native Village of Eklutna declined to comment for this story. Â
This is a developing story.Â
I’m not sure how this casino is going to get its start because it’s literally illegal to ship gaming equipment across state lines unless the state has passed a law legalizing it. §1172. Transportation of gambling devices as unlawful; exceptions; authority of Federal Trade Commission (a) General rule It shall be unlawful knowingly to transport any gambling device to any place in a State or a possession of the United States from any place outside of such State or possession: Provided, That this section shall not apply to transportation of any gambling device to a place in any State which… Read more »
It appears laws just don’t apply to Eklutna village. How did they get all their permits approved in one day? As Jeff states above it takes weeks and months to get simple residential permits. Hence I’m sure they are just bringing in their illegal equipment and thumbing the proverbial nose at all their neighbors and community.
Great! I’m sure slot machines and gambling addictions will really help us with our rampant crime, homelessness, and poor educational outcomes. Thanks, Eklutna!
“This is the first national study to examine the prevalence and characteristics of disordered gambling across racial and ethnic groups. We found that: 1) the prevalence of disordered gambling varies by racial and ethnic group; 2) differences exist across racial and ethnic groups with respect to sociodemographic characteristics and psychiatric and medical comorbidities in disordered gamblers, but these differences parallel those of the racial and ethnic groups in the general population; 3) there are no racial and ethnic differences in onset/course of the disorder, number or pattern of criteria or treatment rates of pathological gamblers of different racial and ethnic… Read more »
OMIGODTHECLUTCHINGOFPEARLSISHILARIOUS!!ISWEARTHATYOUANDTHETALLAHASSEELASSIESHIULDTEAMUPYOUWOULDBEFORMIDABLE!!!MUAHAHAHAHAHA
Dumbest comment. Learn to use the space bar.
I am rushing to get to Fred Myers before Trump take’s office….Oh wait not all motivation is related to who the next pres is?
“………I am rushing to get to Fred Myers before Trump take’s office……..”
That’s actually good advice. Cheap Chinese junk might be going up in price due to tariffs soon……..
I thought the next president was going to lower food prices?
Edit: China exported $7 thousand dollars of cheese to the USA in 2023.
How much Cheese did the USA export to China in 2023?
Who gets hurt in a cheese Tariff war with China?
Do the math…
You need more whine with your Chinese cheese.
What’s Alaska’s new favourite white whine ?
No Native-controlled casinos !!
I prefer dark beer with wings over Chinese cheese and wine, thanks.
That you, Suzanne?
China exports about $2 million dollars of wine to the US every year.
The US exports over $50 million dollars of wine to china every year.
Who do you think a chinese wine tariff war is going to hurt?
Do the math!
Let the Chinese sip Chinese wine, and let Florida sip Floridian whine.
“Who do you think a chinese wine tariff war is going to hurt?” According to your numbers right next to no one.
“Who gets hurt in a cheese Tariff war with China?” According to your numbers right next to no one.
Since u don’t seem to be able to do the math…
The USA diary exports to China are about $600 million a year so a dairy tariff war would hurt american farmers.
Well until now your numbers to do the math you want done include $7,000 in Chinese cheese and an unknown number in American cheese. Now you are adding dairy to the equation, if you want math done you need to provide some kind of usable data. While cheese is dairy, not all dairy is cheese.
With the numbers you’ve provided right next to no one is hurt in a cheese Tariff war with China, unless and until you can provide something tangible that will remain the case.
Really u can’t follow the convo? Cheese was brought up. USA total dairy imports including honey from China per year?
$10 million…..so who will be hurt in a dairy tariff war with China?
US farmers…do the math and work on the reading comprehension and learn to google.
“…….. learn to google……..”
I gargle every morning with designer American mouthwash, thanks. Then I drink Australian dark beer while eating wings and playing blackjack on my computer, but never on Las Vegas rigged slot machines. If at a Nevada table, I count cards………..
You’re not having a conversation, you asked about cheese then you talked about dairy, now you’re talking about honey. A stream of consciousness rant with no linear thought process does not a conversation make.
A whole $7 thousand?! You’ve gotta be older than me, even I know the United States owns the most cheese in the world. Have you heard of the cheese vault? We have tons of cheese underground to keep cheese prices at bay. Do the math..
The idea that Trump wouldn’t approve a casino is batshit dumb.
I nominate this week’s loose unit to Jeff Landfield. Using Susanne Downings title minus the BIA.
My story came out first, chief. She even credited me in her story for first reporting it.
Must Alaska Read Landmine ?
Has a nice ring to it.
Yes, it does. It sure rings better than a subscription to the Anchorage Daily Blues…………..
There’s a big difference, the ADN actually employs credentialed journalists and editors, they have an editorial process that includes fact-checking, whereas bloggers like Must Alaska Read Landmine shoot from the hip and publish stories that are interjected with their personal opinions, grammar and punctuation errors,
That difference is moot if the vaunted “journalists” intentionally use their platform to deceive, manipulate, and hide facts. Credentials don’t validate wrongdoing.
You’re confused, the platform that intentionally and routinely deceives, manipulates and hides facts would be the one that Alaska Must Read. That blog is THE worst !
The poor, gullible people who slop that stuff up, OMIGOD !
“………You’re confused……..”
No, I’m not. I remember the ADN as a two-day-per-week newsletter, the newspaper war with the Times, and the McClatchy takeover. It was used as a propaganda rag for decades.
Wait, what? You’re proud that MRAK essentially reposted your story? I could swear I’ve read Landmine articles in which you (correctly) asserted that MRAK (aka Suzanne) was, er, a less than truthful purveyor of information.
I guess the enemy of your enemy is your friend (if you can stand the odor).
“……..the enemy of your enemy is your friend……..”
That’s an old truth that goes back, ohhhh, about 7,000 years in recorded history, and much longer if you believe animal behavior.
Trade the land for the Egan Center and let the tribe operate a casino in the proper location
Eklutna Inc owns the FBI building, mebe there after QAnon Kash Patel takes over and guts the agency.
Who needs a field office in Anchorage anyhow ?
“……..Who needs a field office in Anchorage anyhow ?……..”
That building qualifies as a fortress more than an office building.
Yes. I don’t understand why Alaska takes so long to start construction in January. This casino won’t be opened until it is fully built!
Might be opened by tonight. It might be a good night, if they haven’t had time to rig the machines into full rip-off mode.
Anthony sold the real life Mr. House a worthless casino for 85$ million dollars. I surmise his slots are coming saran-wrapped already set to full rip-off mode.
“……… I surmise his slots are coming saran-wrapped already set to full rip-off mode……..”
Almost certainly true. Any adjustments would be toward the side of payout, not rip-off.
As KTUU predictably reported this morning, the “temporary casino” opened last night, proving Landfield accurate in his article.
We’ll see if the ploy works…………..