Is a Portland Casino a Good Idea?

Monday, October 19, 2015

Brendan Murray GoLocalPDX News Team

The possibility of a casino being erected at the site of the former Wood Village greyhound racing track has been renewed after the track was purchased by a local Native American tribe. Neighborhood groups told GoLocal they do not believe a casino would be successful at the site.

The Grand Ronde tribal conference purchased the former dog park and the land it sits on this week for an undisclosed amount. The dog track was put on the market earlier this year with an asking price of $11.2 million by Portland real estate agency NAI Norris, Beggs and Simpson.

Representatives from the tribe were mostly mum on what the site's future will be, saying that they hoped to use the land to "further diversify its economic base."

Representatives did not, however, rule out the possibility of a casino being built on the site. City officials have in the past indicated support for a casino in the area, but some residents and neighborhood groups are not convinced one would succeed.

As it currently stands, the Grand Ronde would be forbidden by Oregon law from building a casino at the site. Oregon law forbids a tribe from opening more than one casino. The Grand Ronde currently own and operate the Spirit Mountain Casino on tribal lands in Grand Ronde.

That rule could change, however, as Wood Village officials have indicated they are supportive of a potential casino at the site.

Past Failures Factor In

Felicia Williams, President of the Portland Downtown Neighborhood Association, told GoLocal that she does not believe a casino in Wood Village, or anywhere else in the Portland metro area, would succeed.

She cited past efforts by other developers to build a casino at the site, each of which eventually failed. In 2012, Great Canadian Gaming Corp. and Clairivest, a Canadian private development group not associated with a Native American tribe, tried to open a casino at the site, only to discontinue their campaign before the issue could be voted on by residents. When a vote was finally held, the measure was defeated easily.

In 2010, two businessmen, Bruce Studer, and Matthew Rossman, attempted to put a casino at the site. Despite having support from Wood Village Mayor Dave Fuller, who said the proposed casino would provide an economic jump-start to the area, voters defeated the proposal at the ballot box.

“As I recall, the Wood Village casino idea crashed and burned twice,” Williams said. “Those concerns were echoed by voters, who ultimately defeated the measures. I think they would again.”

However, this time could be different. In both 2010 and 2012, the Grand Ronde Tribal Council funded aggressive anti-casino efforts, fearing that a new casino could cut into profits from the group’s existing gambling venture.

Now that they are the landowners, it is unclear who would fund an opposition campaign. The Grand Ronde are also feeling pressure from the soon-to-be-built casino in southern Washington, and may want to erect a casino closer to Portland in order to preserve their interests.

Old Foes Return

Along with the Grand Ronde, previous efforts to combat the construction of a casino in Wood Village were backed by a group of powerful Oregonians, who may return to fight a casino once again.

Three former Oregon governors, Republican Vic Atiyeh and Democrats John Kitzhaber, Barbara Roberts and Ted Kulongoski, opposed the 2012 effort by Great Canadian Gaming Corp. and Clairivest to build a casino in Wood Village.

"Don't be fooled by the multimillion-dollar TV ads," said Roberts, who was governor from 1991 to 1995. "This is not about water features or movie theaters or farmers markets or fine dining. This is about money, big money — gambling money, and gaming profits."

Related Slideshow: Texas Hold ‘Em (The Portland Way): A Poker Club in Each Quadrant

Here is a run-down of a poker club in each quadrant so you know where to play, no matter where you live.

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The Players Club – Northeast

The Players Club, perched atop the Irish bar Biddy McGraws, is one of the smaller poker rooms in Portland. What they lack in size, they make up for in friendliness. Owner Chadd Baker is typically on hand for every tournament and rules are followed because he is well-liked by most all players. If someone acts up, peer pressure is more likely to run them out the door than Chadd needing to step in.

For Texas Hold ’Em, the Players Club offers only “free-rolls,” which mean you only have to pay a door fee to enter the tournament. Of course you can add money to the pot to get additional chips. They also play a lot of Omaha Hold ‘Em, including numerous variations of the game.

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The Encore Club – NW Portland

Encore is one of the nicer clubs in town. The owners have continually improved the establishment and don’t tolerate rude behavior toward other players or Encore staff, making it the most genteel of places to play in Portland. Encore features more “tourists” than any other in Portland, meaning the play can be a little looser. It also means you have to beware of the sharks circling the tourists. They also have a full bar and kitchen.

Typical buy-ins at Encore are around $40 but they can go up from there. Next weekend is featuring a $210 buy-in tournament and they are guaranteeing a minimum of $35,000 in the prize pool. Wow.

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The Final Table – SE Portland

The Final Table’s name is apt. Those who frequent Portland’s Poker Clubs will often notice players at the Final Table they used to see at other clubs around town but no longer do. The Final Table allows players with more aggressive behaviors to continue to play long after every other club in town has given them the boot. A visit to their cavernous facility on 122nd and Division can prove to be raucous and fun. By sure to say hi to Bourbon Bill. He’s the drunk grandfather typically yelling enough to keep the sane away. He’s far from the only character that frequents the place.

Buy-ins at the Final Table start at $10 (free rolls) and go up from there, with $60 being the largest ongoing tournament.

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The Game – Southwest

The Game has struggled in recent years. One of the original clubs in Portland, it has battled staff turnover, ownership changes, renovations, and fines from the state for their employment practices. Decidedly fancy by comparison to any other club, the décor is the only thing worth highlighting about The Game.

Currently, the Game has a $10 tournament on Sunday, but otherwise just offers $10 freerolls once per month and has a variety of shootouts and other play on week nights.

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Big Stack Players Club, North

The only poker room in North Portland, Big Stack Players Club offers one tournament a day, most days of the week. Buy-ins range from $30-40. Big Stack has a reputation for being a locals place. Playing at Big Stack will resemble a visit to a distant friend’s house, but you can’t bring your own beer.