Anchorage Casino Expansion Readies Despite Federal Tribal Gaming Legality Concerns
Posted on: March 20, 2026, 12:40h.
Last updated on: March 20, 2026, 12:40h.
- Do Alaska Natives have the same federally protected tribal gaming rights?
- Interior Department officials have reached differing opinions under the Biden and Trump administrations
- An Alaska Native tribe is nonetheless expanding its tribal casino near Anchorage
A tribal casino in Alaska hopes to have its 5,000-square-foot expansion complete and open for play by this May. The Native Village of Eklutna is moving forward with its Chin’an Gaming Hall near Anchorage in spite of a recent ruling by the Trump administration.
The Chin’an Gaming Hall opened in Chugiak in February 2025. Chin’an, which means “thank you” in the tribe’s native Athabaskan language, offers about 130 slot-like electronic bingo machines. There are no table games, traditional slot machines, or sports betting.
Tribal officials say business has been good at the casino over the past year. The robust play and demand for the machines have warranted an expansion, the Natives told Anchorage Daily News.
There’s just one big problem: the US Department of the Interior last fall ruled that Alaska Natives do not have the same federal gaming rights as Native American tribes in the Lower 48.
Federal Concerns
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) allows federally recognized tribes to operate Class I and II gaming on their sovereign lands held in the US government’s trust. Class I and II gaming includes small games of chance like bingo and non-banked card games like poker.
To operate Class I and II gaming, a federal tribe doesn’t need to enter into any agreement at the state level. Class III gaming, inclusive of all other forms of gambling, including casino-style slots and table games, requires a state compact.
Under the Biden administration, the DOI’s Bureau of Indian Affairs ruled that Alaskan Natives possess the same IGRA opportunities as the Lower 48 tribes. The ruling came after questions were raised regarding whether the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, enacted before IGRA, which restructured the tribes into state-chartered corporations, eliminated their status as sovereign nations.
Deputy Interior Secretary Kate MacGregor, who has served in both Trump administrations, ruled last fall that Native Alaskan tribes do not have the same IGRA privileges as Lower 48 nations. MacGregor said the Biden administration’s ruling was “contrary to law and judicial precedent,” writing that the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act solidified the US’ legal position “on the nature and scope of federally recognized tribes’ governmental powers over lands in Alaska.”
MacGregor ordered that the National Indian Gaming Commission reevaluate the law to determine if Alaska Natives have federally protected tribal gaming rights. In the interim, MacGregor rescinded the Biden decision and reinstated the DOI’s 1993 opinion that concluded the State of Alaska, not tribes, holds primary authority over most lands.
Expansion Facility
For now, the Native Village of Eklutna is preparing its expanded Chin’an Gaming Hall, a temporary structure connected to the small brick building housing the current gaming machines. The temporary structure will bring another 90 electronic bingo games to the Gaming Hall.
The tribe, should its gaming privileges be secured, has proposed a permanent Chin’an Gaming Hall in a new structure (pictured above).
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