Spokane Tribe kicks off Washington casino

The Washington State native tribe, Spokane, is inaugurating a new casino in the region.

US.- The Spokane Tribe of Washington State is finally inagurating the new regional casino, Airway Heights. The main event will take place today, whilst the initial inauguration of the US$40 million casino will feature 450 slot machines and 12 table games, along with an outdoor plaza and two restaurants.

“We want to provide opportunities,” said Carol Evans, chairwoman for the 2,900-member Spokane Tribe. “We want to give our young people the tools to help them succeed.” The new casino will bring new opportunities for local residents, as unemployment rates among members of the tribe were set around 50 per cent.

The tribe said that the facility will support more than 5,000 jobs and help the town by generating revenue. The local organisation proposed the casino back in 2006, and had to wait almost ten years for the US Department of Interior to give them the permission to build the off-reservation casino. The Governor signed the project almost a year ago.

“It’s been a lengthy process, but our tribe has been here forever,” Carol Evans said. “We have always been a people of strong will. We are always people who will stand up for our rights. We always knew that we would prevail.”