The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana have begun work on a 34,000-square-foot casino near Evaro, which the tribes plan to open in late 2016.
The new casino is located on U.S. Highway 93, about 10 miles north of I-90, and will replace the Gray Wolf Peak Casino, which S&K Gaming operates, along with the tribes’ Kwa Taq Nuk Resort in Polson.
The new casino will have 300 gaming machines, which is more than double the 118 at the Gray Wolf Peak Casino, a 120-seat restaurant, deli, lounge, and outdoor patio.
Casino plans originally called for a 70-room hotel, RV park, and convenience store, but the tribes agreed to table that portion of the project in favor of moving ahead with the casino construction.
Once the casino is open, the tribes say they might pursue hotel construction, but several elders opposed the hotel’s construction, saying the 5.2-acre site has cultural significance for the tribes.
With the hotel, the tribes originally intended a $27.4 million budget for the casino project, but they say the amount will be reduced by several million with the hotel, RV park, and convenience store no longer included.
Once open, tribal officials estimate the new casino will employ 100, and it will enable the tribes to tap into potential gaming revenues that their current casino is missing by being located further south.
