Puyallup Tribe of Indians and Gambling Commission reach ‘tentative agreement’

The Washington State Gambling Commission (WSGC) and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians have announced a cautious agreement on amending a gaming compact.

After much discussion between the two parties, the WSGC and the Puyallup Tribe have finalized a proposed seventh amendment to the legally binding contract that was first signed in 1996, incorporating the first six amendments in a restatement of the original compact.

“We had a shared interest in producing a well-written amended and restated compact that resulted in some new and innovative approaches that will set the stage for other tribal-state negotiations into the future,” said Washington State Gambling Commission Chairperson Alicia Levy.”

Puyallup Tribal Chairman Sterud made note of nearly three decades of cooperation between the WSGC and the Tribe, saying: “For almost 30 years, the Puyallup Tribe and the State of Washington have worked side by side to ensure that tribal gaming operates with the highest standards of safety and accountability.

“This new agreement will allow the Puyallup Tribe to continue to be a major economic engine for our wider region: creating family-wage jobs, supporting local, state, and national businesses, and generating vital revenue that we invest directly into health care, education, housing, and social services that uplift every member of our Tribe and strengthen the surrounding community.”

Some provisions made to the compact have precedent in other tribal agreements, while others replace previous contributions with more modern amendments. There are also some new provisions that don’t exist in any other gaming compacts.

The new agreement includes a framework for electronic table games at the Tribe’s gaming facility, an extension of credit, and the removal of per facility limits. There are also some practical changes, such as allowing $30 wagers on tribal lottery system player terminals, allowing table games in operation to offer up to $1,000 wagers and selected tables to offer up to $5,000 wagers, and allowing an option for additional 1,000 player terminals to be added to the Tribe’s allocation.

Looking more generally, the agreement also takes the opportunity to formally define the Tribe’s commitment to the community through support to emergency service, government, and non-profit/charitable organizations, and enhancing responsible gaming provisions on training, self-exclusion, responsible gaming signage and posting, and self-imposed limits.

While the agreement has been reached, the amendment has not been officially signed into law just yet. It needs to be approved by various legislative groups and in a public hearing, before heading to the Tribal Chair for final consideration and signature, and then getting officially signed off by the Governor.

Despite all the future red tape, the ‘tentative agreement’, as described by the WSGC is a strong step forward for collaboration between the two organizations. With elapsed gaming compacts causing issues in other states, that’s good news for both parties.

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