Gaming dollars have been transformative for some tribes, funding various social programs. At the urging of an influential tribal leader, the late David Barnett, the tribe entered into a contract paying from $30,000 to $50,000 a month to R&S Strategy Group or its owners, Rossman and Studer.Īccording to a copy of the agreement and records of tribal meetings, as well as interviews with Rossman, the tribe aimed to stave off competitors, particularly the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in Oregon. Gaming is vital to Northwest tribal economies and, in this case, access to the highly lucrative gambling market in Oregon’s population center was at stake.Ĭowlitz leaders turned to consultants Matthew Rossman and Bruce Studer and their company - best known for a nearly two-decade quest to build the state’s first private, non-tribal casino over the objections of tribes in Oregon. Ilani became the nearest casino to Portland when it opened in 2017 outside La Center, Washington, and it now boasts annual revenue of at least $300 million a year, according to one estimate. Since 2016, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe has paid millions to a Portland consulting firm and its owners to protect its highly successful ilani Casino Resort from unwanted competition - namely other tribes looking to expand their gaming operations in Oregon.
