![]() Slot machines, poker tables and 15 restaurants and bars fill the space. The 368,000-square-foot casino includes 100,000 square feet of gaming space. Just 25 miles north of downtown, the new casino is now the closest major gambling venue to Portland. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from casino opponents, clearing the way for Monday’s opening day. The 4,000-member tribe has faced legal challenges over its reservation land in the past. “But for 160 years, we were taken off this land. We’ve had 12,000 years of occupancy in this area,” he added. Ilani Casino Resort President and General Manager Kara Fox-LaRose with Cowlitz Tribe chairman Bill Iyall on opening day of the new casino. “It is a great moment in our history and it certainly marks a place where we finally have equal footing with other tribes,” said Cowlitz Tribe Chairman Bill Iyall. The crowd grew impatient at times, chanting "Open! Open!” as tribal leaders and casino officials delivered speeches. Monday’s wet weather didn’t keep the crowds, or the traffic, from showing up at the opening day of Ilani, the new Cowlitz Tribe casino in southwest Washington.īy noon, the 3,000-spot parking lot was full and transportation officials were reporting cars backed up for miles on I-5 northbound.Īfter 21 months of construction, the Cowlitz Tribe welcomed their new casino with a ribbon cutting ceremony before opening the doors to thousands of eagerly waiting people. ![]()
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