The Washington State Gambling Commission, the gambling regulatory agency of the Evergreen State, has announced that it has reached tentative agreements with four additional federally-recognized tribes on ETG (electronic table games) gaming compact amendment.

The four tribes which have reached the tentative agreements with the state are: the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Suquamish Tribe, and the Spokane Tribe. Additionally, all these tribes have agreed to embrace the proposed compact amendment language discussed by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for ETG.

The proposed gaming compact amendment will reportedly initiate a new framework for ETGs that are the tribes offer at their individual gaming properties.

The upcoming process for the state’s tentative agreements with the tribes will involve numerous steps. First of all, a joint hearing in the state legislature will be held on 10th of July this year, which will pave way for the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade Committee and the House Regulated Substances & Gaming Committee to contemplate the agreements. Then, the Gambling Commission will officially be able to vote on the proposed gaming compact amendment. A public meeting is scheduled to be conducted on 20th of July to determine whether to forward the amendment to the Governor or not.

In case the proposed amendment is validated, it will be sent to the Tribal Chair for final review. If it gets the signatures of both, the governor and tribal chief, it will be sent to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) for review and release in the Federal Register.

Meanwhile, the Washington State Gambling Commission has announced that the members of the public can submit their comments on the proposed compact amendment by sending their mails to compactcomments@wsgc.wa.gov.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988 states, “Indian tribes located in Washington State can conduct Class III gaming activities on their lands if conducted in accordance with a tribal-state compact.”

Currently, Washington is home to a total of 29 federally-recognized tribes, and 22 of those tribes are managing 28 regulated gaming properties under Class III gaming compacts signed with the state. The long list of the state’s tribal casinos includes: the Chewelah Casino (owned by the Spokane Tribe of Indians), 12 Tribes Coulee Dam Casino (owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation), 7 Cedars Casino (owned by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe), and Ilani Casino Resort (owned by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe).