A small, rural tribe in Washington State announced the development of a new casino near Darrington. After several attempts at opening their own gaming facility, the Sauk Suiattle Indians have finally succeeded at launching the casino project with a helping hand from another sovereign nation, the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
The new casino, called Last Chance Casino and Bingo, will have a bingo hall and a café. It is currently under construction at 5318 Chief Brown Lane, about 6 miles from Darrington in Washington’s Snohomish County. The news came last week in a press release by the Shoalwater Bay Casino in Tokeland. According to the plans, the casino will have up to 200 slot machines, as well as a small bar, while the 70-seat bingo hall will also act as a venue for live shows, casino manager Nino Maltos explained.
The Sauk Suiattle, which is a federally recognized Native American tribe since 1973, hopes that the casino would provide great economic and employment opportunities for its members and for the town of Darrington, as well. Job fairs will be held this summer where the casino will look to hire 35 to 40 people for various positions. Maltos said that tribal leaders have worked hard for many years to make this project a reality. According to him, the facility could expand in the future as the traffic in the area could make it a popular gaming and entertainment venue not only for the locals but for visitors, as well.
The tribe has not commented on the cost of the project and it is unclear how big the investment would be. But the casino provides the local community with a great opportunity for economic development even in a seemingly rural region such as this.
Partnership between Sovereign Nations
The nearly 300-member Sauk Suiattle tribe has partnered with another Indian tribe for this casino project. They are now working with the Willapa Bay Enterprise Corporation, the economic development arm of the Tokeland-based Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe. Staff for the new casino will receive professional training by the team that runs the Shoalwater Bay Casino on Willapa Bay in southwest Washington.
The project is managed by Willapa Bay Enterprise CEO Johnny Winokur, who has years of experience in operating gaming facilities across the country. Along with his own expertise, Winkur has brought in many top specialists into the project to guarantee that the casino would be complete by the end of the summer. The grand opening is scheduled for September 1, 2018, and among the experts working on its successful completion are leadership consultant Tina Hagedorn and celebrity casino guru Gary Green. A former executive of The Trump Organization, he became known for TV shows such as The Apprentice and Casino Rescue.
