'Sovereign nation helping sovereign nation': Sauk-Suiattle Tribe finally opening casino

Friday, June 15, 2018  

The Sauk-Suiattle Tribe is getting into the gaming industry for the first time thanks to a fellow Indian nation.

The Last Chance Casino and Bingo in Darrington, Washington, opens on September 1, The Everett Herald reports. The facility is being developed in partnership with the Willapa Bay Enterprise Corporation, the economic development arm of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe.

"Sovereign nation helping sovereign nation; it's just the right thing to do," Johnny Winokur, the chief executive officer of Willapa Bay, said in a press release.

The facility will feature a cafe and a bingo hall that will double as a performance space, The Herald reports. About 35 to 40 people will be hired to staff the casino.

“I’m really excited,” manager Nino Maltos told the paper. “It’s been a long time waiting for the Sauks to get this facility. It’s going to create a lot of job opportunity, not only for tribal members, but for the town of Darrington.”

Darrington is a small town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles northwest of Seattle. Shoalwater Bay homelands are more than 200 miles away along the Washington coast in Tokeland, where the Shoalwater Bay Casino is located.

The Last Chance Casino and Bingo will be located at 5318 Chief Brown Lane, the site of Sauk-Suiattle headquarters. The Two Rivers Smoke Shop, a tribal enterprise, is also located there.

Read More on the Story:
Sauk Suiattle Tribe is building a casino near Darrington (The Everett Herald June 15, 2018)