The Snoqualmie Tribe of Washington opens its $375 million casino resort to the public on Thursday.

The Snoqualmie Casino features a 170,000 square-foot gaming floor, 1,700 slot machines and five restaurants. It's only about a half-hour drive from Seattle, right off a major interstate.

The location attracted the tribe's original backer to the project. But after a falling out, the tribe had to go to Wall Street to secure a $85 million loan and paid its former partner an $76 million settlement.

"People took advantage of them,"

Ron Allen, the chairman of the Washington Indian Gaming Association and chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, told The Seattle Times.

Along the way, some members began to question the tribe's spending practices. A leadership dispute led to the banishment of nine people, including four council members and a former chairman. A federal judge is considering a lawsuit on the issue.

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Snoqualmie Tribe's big bet: The casino that almost wasn't (The Seattle Times 11/2)