Following the lead of other Washington tribes - including the Tulalips, Muckleshoots, Puyallups, Kalispels, and the Chehalis Confederated Tribes - who had already successfully launched casinos, the Snoqualmies had the advantage of picking a site closest to the population base of Seattle.īut the Snoqualmies' disadvantages were not insignificant: once the Puget Sound region's most populous tribe, they had - ever since a mid-nineteenth century chief ceded all of their lands to the U.S.
In late-2003 news broke publicly that the Snoqualmie Tribe was exploring the idea of constructing a $60 million gambling casino near the small, circa 1889, lumber railroad town of Snoqualmie (just off of Interstate 90 at Exit 27). The casino - a dream project for the Snoqualmie Tribe - is also one that was a long time in the making. Located 30 miles east of downtown Seattle, the 170,000-square-foot facility features a 51,000-square-foot gaming floor, an 11,000-square-foot ballroom, a nightclub, a fine dining restaurant, a cigar lounge, and a six-level parking garage. on the Thursday evening, November 6, 2008, the Snoqualmie Casino holds its Grand Opening event.
