The Cowlitz Indian Tribe will take on management of its ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield next year after tribal leadership voted not to continue an agreement with the Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribe, which currently oversees its operations.
Late last month, the Cowlitz tribe announced it was looking into its options for when the seven-year contract with the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority ends in July 2024.
Early this month, the Cowlitz Tribal Council approved a decision to end that relationship with Mohegan, which shifts the casino’s operations from outside oversight “to a self-managed enterprise.”
“In doing so … the Cowlitz Tribal leadership express(es) our deepest gratitude to the Mohegan Tribe for their extraordinary guidance, partnership, and achievement for both Tribes during the formative years of ilani,” a statement from tribal chairwoman Patty Kinswa-Gaiser read.
Mohegan has managed ilani since it began operation in April 2017. Although the current agreement does not end until July next year, the Cowlitz tribe chose to announce its decision to give the tribe’s gaming authority ample time for “a deliberate, professional, and multi-step process,” the chairwoman stated.
Operations at ilani won’t change in the meantime, the announcement stated.
“We are forever grateful for the remarkable success and benefits this partnership has brought our tribal members and the Cowlitz community since ilani opened its doors in 2017,” Kinswa-Gaiser said.
The decision to take operation of ilani in-house “is a natural evolution” for the tribe, she said.
“While we remain committed to continuing our partnership with Mohegan through other endeavors and opportunities of mutual benefit, it was understood by both Tribes that Cowlitz would eventually pursue a pathway toward self-management of ilani,” Kinswa-Gaiser said.
Mohegan has put its support behind the Cowlitz tribe’s decision.
“We are very proud of the work we accomplished together over many years in partnership with the Cowlitz Tribe,” Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO Ray Pineault said in an announcement. “We support the self-determination of any Tribal nation, and while we had hoped to continue our partnership as we thought we had more to offer the Cowlitz people, we are committed to aiding a smooth transition.”
Based in Connecticut, Mohegan is involved with casinos and resorts across the United States, Canada and South Korea. The tribe also owns the Connecticut Sun, which participates in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
The Mohegan and Cowlitz tribes’ relationship officially began in 2004 when the tribes entered into an agreement for Mohegan to help build ilani. Under the partnership, the casino resort has expanded to nearly 400,000 square feet.
The Cowlitz tribe is set to host a grand opening event for its nearly 300-room hotel at ilani on Monday, April 24.
