The 20,000 square foot Kalispel Casino opened last week in Cusick, Washington. It has 120 slots, a banquet room, a family restaurant, an RV park, gas station, storage facility and fresh market. It’s all part of a $10.5 million economic development project of the Kalispel tribe called Kalispel Park. It is the tribe’s second casino.
The Spokesman-Review interviewed Curt Holmes, a member of the Kalispel Tribe’s council who is executive director of public and governmental affairs on the first day of the opening. He said, “It’s amazing how many people have been hanging out and enjoying it. It’s been good. We are anticipating a full house tonight. Locals are excited to come check it out.”
The casino is located near the Kalispel Reservation, just off State Highway 20.
The fresh market will include produce, dairy and meat products. The RV park, which opens later this year, will have 33 hookups and eight cottages to rent.
Holmes added, “The casino is kind of small, but we did that intentionally to see how it goes. We don’t want to overbuild. We do have plans for expansion, but it’s going to be if the demand is there. We are hoping the RV park is going to be popular. A lot of people come up here to camp.”
The future could include a hotel and more amenities. “It’s so beautiful out here, and we are blessed with so many natural resources. People come up here to enjoy it, but there’s not a lot of lodging,” said Holmes.
The tribe’s original casino, Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, opened 19 years ago. It is about 60 miles from the new facility. It recently underwent an expansion that added a store, cinema, dinner theater and RV park.
In the 1970’s the tribe opened two businesses Kalispel Metal Products and the Kalispel Case Line. It opened Kalispel Career Training Center 2011, the Kalispel Rest Area in 2014 and Kalispel Auto Sales in 2017.
