Judge Backs Coquille’s Oregon Casino 170 Miles From Tribe’s Main Reservation

A federal judge has rejected an attempt by three Northern California and Oregon tribes to overturn approval of the Coquille Indian Tribe’s controversial casino in the city of Medford, Ore., ruling that the U.S. Department of the Interior acted lawfully when it placed the property into trust for gaming.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., on Friday (September 4) denied a summary judgment motion brought by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. He granted cross-motions from Interior and the Coquille Tribe.

The tribe first applied to have the 2.4-acre site in Medford taken into trust in 2012, with plans to develop a Class II gaming facility. The land is roughly 170 miles from Coquille’s main reservation in Coos Bay, where it operates the Mill Casino.

Interior initially rejected the application in 2020, in part because of the distance from the reservation and concerns raised by state and local officials. But the agency reversed course following further review and approved the trust acquisition and gaming use in January 2025.

The property was transferred into trust that same day and gaming began the following day, according to court documents. The facility currently operates on a limited scale, while longer-term plans call for a 16,000-square-foot gaming floor containing 650 Class II machines.

‘Restored Lands’ Dispute

The three plaintiff tribes, which operate casinos within 150 miles of the Medford property, argued the new facility would siphon revenues from their gaming operations and reduce money available for education, health care, and other tribal services.

A central issue was whether the property qualified for the “restored lands” exception under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

IGRA generally prohibits gambling on tribal land taken into trust after October 17, 1988, but provides several exceptions, including for land restored to a tribe that regained federal recognition.

The Coquille Restoration Act of 1989 permits the Interior secretary to accept land into trust within the tribe’s designated service area, comprising Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane counties. Because Medford is in Jackson County, Interior determined the property qualified as restored land.

Mehta concurred, finding that D.C. Circuit precedent supported Interior’s interpretation.

Interior Reversal Upheld

The plaintiffs argued Interior acted arbitrarily when it reversed its earlier rejection of the project.

Mehta disagreed, noting that circumstances had changed during the lengthy review. Coquille had entered into a municipal services agreement with Medford, while Interior found the tribe’s need for additional revenue had increased as income from its existing Mill Casino failed to keep pace with rising costs.

Interior estimated the Medford facility could eventually generate $18.5 million annually.

“Plaintiffs may disagree, but the court is not empowered to revisit the decision so long as it is ‘reasonable and reasonably explained,’” Mehta wrote.

The ruling is a final, appealable order, leaving the three tribes free to take the dispute to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.