Portland Considers Casino For Baseball Stadium Funding

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have proposed funding for a baseball stadium in exchange for the right to build a casino within the city of Portland. The proposal comes as a Portland delegation attempts to lure a Major League Baseball team to the city. The Grand Ronde proposal comes with a number of caveats: Oregon Goevernor Ted Kulongoski would need to approve putting a so-called Indian casino on nontribal land; Local governmental bodies would likely seek a compact delivering a higher percentage of gambling profits to area groups; and Major League Baseball, which has frowned on betting in the past, would likely have a huge say over whether it would sanction a team that plays in a gambling-funded stadium. The tribe has not set any parameters on how much it would pay or how it would supply the money for a ball park. A stadium without a roof would cost an estimated $350 million.