Construction of gambling hall underway on Tlingit and Haida land near Eaglecrest
- Mark Sabbatini
- Aug 26
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Long-rumored establishment gets authorization to offer bingo, card and electronic slot-like gaming
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A long-rumored casino-like gambling establishment is now being built on tribal land near Eaglecrest Ski Area, adding to what may be a drastic tourism-oriented redevelopment of north Douglas Island during the coming years.
Workers were performing roof work on the mostly completed exterior of a wood building at midday Tuesday on a 20-acre parcel owned by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. A tribal spokesperson did not respond to questions from the Independent on Tuesday, including when the gambling establishment is scheduled to open.
Reports show the tribe plans to operate a Class II gaming establishment. Such locations can offer bingo, non-house-banked card games, pull-tabs, and slot-like machines where payouts come from a pool of competing players (much like bingo). Games like poker, blackjack and traditional slot machines are not allowed.
The parcel is part of a 220-acre site owned by the heirs of an Angoon man who obtained it in a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service in 2002. Tlingit and Haida has been leasing 20 of those acres since 2015.
Speculation has existed for many years about the site on Fish Creek Road about four miles from the Glacier Highway turnoff to Eaglecrest. A 2016 blog post by journalist Craig Medred headlined "Alaska’s first Indian gambling casino appears to be in the works" stated Tlingit and Haida had adopted a federal gaming ordinance, but denied "it has any plan to build a casino in Juneau at this time."
But Tlingit and Haida began clearing trees from the land in 2018 for purposes tribal officials did not elaborate on publicly. Fireworks sales leading up to the Fourth of July have occurred on the property during some recent years.
The gaming facility took a big step forward in January of this year when the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) authorized an amended gaming ordinance adopted by the tribe in October of 2024. A key consideration of the commission was Tlingit and Haida demonstrating it exercises significant government authority, with the tribe submitting evidence of its education, law enforcement, emergency management and other operations to meet that standard.
The Jan. 17, 2025, authorization letter by the commission also notes potential amenities on the property based on the tribal council’s actions.
"The leased premises shall be used by the [Tribe] for governmental administration, programs, services, regulatory functions, the promotion of tribal cultural heritage and economic development, including but not limited to the construction and operation of a native-style lodge with a restaurant and gift shop, bingo, dining and entertainment that includes cultural performances and music, and the operation of governmental facilities and Business Enterprises under the governmental authority of the [Tribe]," the commission’s letter states.
Tlingit and Haida has completed numerous development projects in Juneau and is proposing additional major projects such as a highy touted education campus. But plans for the gaming facility remained largely out of public view until the commission’s letter and construction work attracted media notice during the past few weeks.
A similar gambling hall authorized by the commission for the Native Village of Eklutna is experiencing difficulties after opening in January. The state of Alaska in February filed a lawsuit to shut down the casino and Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration is asking President Donald Trump to overturn the commission’s ruling authorizing the facility. The Dunleavy administration also previously legally challenged an effort by Tlingit and Haida to obtain "Indian country" sovereignty rights to a parcel of tribal land in downtown Juneau.
Tlingit and Haida’s planned gambling facility may join other major tourism facilities on north Douglas Island in the development stage. Goldbelt Inc. is planning to build a two-berth cruise dock — complete with various visitor facilities — on land it owns on the west coast of the island by the 2028 cruise ship season. A gondola Goldbelt is paying much of the installation costs for is also tentatively planned to open at Eaglecrest by 2028.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
