(AsiaGameHub) – By: Jonathan Barrett
This is a classic sovereignty play disguised as an economic development project. The Tlingit and Haida tribes are not just opening a casino. They are forcing a legal confrontation over the very definition of tribal authority in Alaska. The state is watching, the feds are reviewing, and the tribe is betting the whole house on a Biden-era opinion the Trump administration just reversed.
[Official Release Facts] The Two Coppers Casino is now operating on Fish Creek Road, a mile from the Eaglecrest Ski Area near Juneau. It opened with about 100 Class II electronic gaming machines. The venue lacks running water and has no regular schedule. A shuttle from downtown aims to bring cruise passengers. The tribes plan a full grand opening on July 1. The property covers 220 acres from a 2002 land swap. The tribe has leased 20 acres there since 2015.
[Real Social Impact] This isn’t a simple business launch. It’s a live legal test. The National Indian Gaming Commission approved the tribe’s gaming ordinance in October 2024. That approval hinged on proving governmental authority over the land. Then Deputy Interior Secretary Katharine MacGregor reversed the supportive Biden-era opinion. She said prior decisions need review. The state of Alaska sued another tribal gaming hall near Anchorage in February 2025. They haven’t sued here yet. They are deferring to the federal review. For the tribe, this is an expression of sovereignty. For the state, it’s a challenge to its regulatory control.
The compliance cost here is measured in legal uncertainty. The tribe began this process with a federal ordinance in 2016. Tree clearing started in 2018. Construction began last summer. Now they operate in a gray zone created by shifting federal interpretations. The state’s lawsuit against the Eklutna facility sets a direct precedent. Two Coppers becomes a second front in the same war. The tribe’s president, Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson, says he feels “fairly secure.” He doubts the state has a winning legal ground. But the state’s spokesperson, Sam Curtis, confirms they are watching and waiting.
The ultimate regulatory enforcement outcome will hinge on a federal court’s reading of that reversed Interior opinion. If the tribe’s interpretation holds, it opens a pathway for similar assertions across Alaska. If it fails, it reinforces state primacy in a region with a tiny casino market compared to the Lower 48. This is a high-stakes game of bureaucratic and judicial chicken. The slot machines are just the backdrop.
Author bio: Jonathan Barrett, a lead focus editor for an independent overseas public affairs weekly, specializing in the intersection of indigenous rights, federal policy, and economic development.