Pasco business owner opposes proposed King City off-reservation casino during Richland meeting

Max Faulkner, managing partner of Atomic Bowl in Pasco, spoke during the public comment period at the Richland City Council meeting on March 18, 2025, to oppose a proposed off-reservation casino project he referred to as the "Callville Scribe Casino" in King City.

Faulkner told the council he had invested about $1.6 million in improvements to his business over the past decade and said he feared the proposed casino would harm local card rooms and small businesses. He argued that tribal casinos operating on reservation land receive gaming authorities and offerings that card rooms do not, and he said that presents an unfair competitive advantage. "The tribe has 3 casinos already. 2 off reservation... they get the machine gaming of course," Faulkner said.

Faulkner also raised concerns about self-exclusion programs, saying card rooms are required by the state to maintain self-banning lists and that tribal casinos do not follow the same rules in off-reservation locations. "The tribes don't have to do this," he said, describing how a person who self-bans in Washington can still access tribal facilities off-reservation.

Faulkner said he planned to pursue his concerns with other entities and provided the council with a written letter. Council took no formal action on his comments during the meeting; public comment was recorded and acknowledged by the mayor.