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.
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.
In September, we reported that a portion of the allotment had been cleared.
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.
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.”
A spokesperson for the Native Village of Eklutna declined to comment for this story.
This is a developing story.
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