Native Issues
Tribal Casino
Apr 1, 2025

Insurer not liable for tribe’s COVID-19 casino losses

A Washington appeals court ruled that Lexington Insurance Co. does not owe business-loss coverage to the Tulalip Tribes after COVID-19 shutdowns impacted their casino. The court found that the virus did not cause direct physical damage to the property, upholding a lower court’s dismissal of the tribe’s claim. Similar cases in other courts have also rejected arguments that COVID-19 contamination qualifies as physical loss under insurance policies.

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