Cowlitz's La Center casino plan unaffected by new laws

WASHINGTON -- As reported by the Columbian: "Newly released rules for interpreting Indian gambling law will not block the Cowlitz Indian Tribe's casino project near La Center, a tribal spokesman said.

"The Bureau of Indian Affairs published final regulations Tuesday, the culmination of a multiyear process to provide clarity in what can be a convoluted legal process.

"...The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act generally prohibits gambling on lands taken into trust by the federal government after 1988, but it also contains an exemption for a tribe's initial reservation. The regulations published Tuesday provide guidance for how to apply that exemption.

"The Cowlitz want to create an initial reservation on a 152-acre site along the west side of Interstate 5. A development partnership proposes to build a $510 million casino complex on the site, which is less than a 20-minute drive from the Portland-Vancouver area..."

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