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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Tribe announces opening date for Airway Heights casino

The Spokane Tribe unveiled the logo of the new casino being built in a field near their billboard logo along U.S Highway 2, shown Wednesday, May 31, 2017. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

The Spokane Tribe’s new casino in Airway Heights is opening in early January, the tribe has announced.

The grand opening for the $40 million casino is at 7 p.m. Jan. 8.

“Many supporters of the Spokane Tribe Economic Project helped with our efforts to make the casino become a reality, and we are grateful to share this celebration with them,” Carol Evans, the tribe’s chairwoman, said in a news release.

The casino will offer about 450 slot machines, 12 table games, a restaurant and bar, a deli and gaming-floor bar. The Spokane Tribe’s future plans for the 145-acre site on U.S. Highway 2 include a hotel, restaurants, entertainment venues, shopping and a tribal cultural center.

The Spokane Tribe first proposed the casino development in 2006, but waited nine years for the greenlight from the U.S. Department of Interior to build the off-reservation casino. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed off on the project in 2015.

Parts of the new casino were named after landmarks and history important to the Spokanes, the news release said.

“Three Peaks Kitchen and Bar” refers to Mount Spokane, Cayuse Mountain and Steptoe Butte. The peaks roughly outline the tribe’s ancestral homelands of more than 3 million acres.

“Whaluks,” the name of the gaming floor bar, refers to a traditional card game played by members of the tribe.

“Speelya’s Den” is the name of a deli. Speelya is the Salish word for coyote, an important figure in the tribe’s culture.

About 300 people will work at the casino. The tribe is still hiring; job openings are listed at spokanetribecasino.com.