Two Coppers Casino Opens in Alaska Despite Legal Uncertainty

^{The Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Alaska appear to have jumped the gun in opening the Two Coppers Casino in Juneau. (Photo: Richard Cummins / Alamy)}

The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska celebrated the soft launch of its Two Coppers Casino in Juneau on June 3, even as the state government considers challenging the venue's legality.

The casino opened with 100 electronic gaming machines, with construction still underway on the facility.

“We’re really excited about this,” Chalyee Eesh Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, told the Juneau Independent. “It’s an opportunity, an expression of our sovereignty, but also I think it’s a great economic opportunity for not only the tribe, but for people who want to work here.”

Grand Opening Scheduled for July 1

The casino opened even without basic amenities such as running water. Tlingit & Haida are scheduling an official grand opening for the facility on July 1.

However, the legal status of the casino is uncertain following the Trump administration’s decision last September to reverse a ruling made by the Department of the Interior (DOI) during the Biden administration.

In 2024, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) approved a gaming ordinance for the Tlingit & Haida after it demonstrated that it exercises government authority over its land, including emergency management, education, and law enforcement operations on its properties. That was based on a DOI decision that granted greater tribal authority to Alaska’s federally recognized tribes.

However, Deputy Interior Secretary Katharine MacGregor reversed that ruling in September 2025, saying that “it does not reflect the best interpretation of applicable law.”

“Any Department action, including any action by the National Indian Gaming Commission, taken in reliance on [the previous solicitor’s opinion] should be reevaluated in accordance with the revocation,” MacGregor wrote.

Specifically, the ruling reinstated Alaska’s jurisdiction over Native allotments, parcels of land granted by the federal government to indigenous groups in the state.

“We are encouraged that Interior has returned to a position grounded in Alaska’s history,” Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox said in a statement after that ruling.

Native Groups Confident Alaska Casinos Will Survive

The issues facing the Two Coppers Casino are directly related to those of a casino opened by the Native Village of Eklutna, the tribe that has operated the Chin’an Gaming Hall in Birchwood since January 2025. That tribe is currently operating a temporary venue while awaiting greater legal certainty before committing to a permanent facility.

But despite the legal challenges, the Chin’an Gaming Hall remains open while the federal government reviews its prior rulings, and Tlingit & Haida leaders remain confident that tribal gaming will continue to thrive in Alaska.

“If they challenge it, that’s their choice,” Peterson said. “That doesn’t mean I agree that they have a legal ground to stand on and that they’ll win.”

In the meantime, the Two Coppers Casino is doing what it can to be a good neighbor in its community. Currently, the casino doesn’t serve alcohol, and officials say they plan to monitor visitors to make sure they don’t have guests who are gambling for too long.

“This is not simply about operating a gaming facility,” Gaming General Manager Janice Hotch said, via IndianGaming.com. “It is about earning and maintaining the trust of our tribal citizens, our partners, our regulators, and every guest who walks through our doors.”