Two Coppers Casino is still under construction as you can see. Photo Credits: Juneau Independent.
Two Coppers Casino has started taking players near Eaglecrest Ski Area, giving Juneau a tribal gaming venue that also sits inside a much wider legal fight over Class II gaming in Alaska.
Good to Know
Two Coppers Casino is already operating on Fish Creek Road, about a mile from Eaglecrest Ski Area, while construction continues around the property. Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson, president of the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, told the Juneau Independent that the site still lacks some basic amenities, including running water.
The casino opened with 100 electronic gaming machines. A regular schedule has not been finalized, and Peterson said the venue likely will not open every day. A shuttle from downtown Juneau was also set to begin, with cruise passengers expected to form part of the early customer base.
Peterson framed the opening as more than a gaming launch.
“We’re really excited about this,” he said. “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.”
Two Coppers operates as a Class II gaming facility. That means it can offer bingo-style electronic machines with pooled payouts, plus bingo, pull-tabs and non-house-banked card games. Traditional slot machines, blackjack and poker do not fit under that setup.
The legal issue comes from land authority. The National Indian Gaming Commission had approved an amended Tlingit and Haida gaming ordinance adopted in October 2024. That approval relied on the tribe showing governmental authority over its land allotments through areas such as education, emergency management, law enforcement and other public operations.
Then the Trump administration reversed a Biden-era Interior Department opinion that supported that framework. Deputy Interior Secretary Katharine MacGregor said the earlier view did not reflect the best interpretation of law and that federal decisions relying on it should face review.
Peterson still believes the casino stands on valid legal ground.
“I feel fairly secure,” he said. “If they challenge it, that’s their choice. That doesn’t mean I agree that they have a legal ground to stand on and that they’ll win.”
The Alaska Department of Law has not announced direct legal action against Two Coppers. Spokesperson Sam Curtis said the state knows about the opening and will defer to the federal review process for now.
Alaska already has a related case in motion. The state sued in February 2025 over the Native Village of Eklutna gaming hall near Anchorage after that facility opened in January 2025. That venue remains open, so Two Coppers now becomes another live test for tribal gaming rights in a state with a far smaller casino market than the Lower 48.
The Fish Creek Road property covers 220 acres and traces back to a 2002 land swap with the U.S. Forest Service involving heirs of an Angoon man. Tlingit and Haida have leased 20 acres there since 2015. The tribe adopted a federal gaming ordinance in 2016, tree clearing began in 2018, fireworks sales later used the site, and casino construction began last summer.