TULALIP – Bigger isn’t necessarily better when it comes to casinos.
So say gamblers who showed up for the grand opening of the Tulalip Tribes’ remodeled Quil Ceda Creek Casino on Wednesday.
More than 100 people were waiting at the doors for the 10 a.m. public opening after the casino opened to tribal members Tuesday night.
The Tulalips spent $2 million refurbishing the building, which housed the tribe’s original casino when it opened 12 years ago. It was closed in June 2003 when the Tulalips opened the new $78 million casino along I-5.
“There is something about it,” Sheila Kline of Marysville said of the renamed casino. “You’re not packed in. You don’t have the tables you have to walk around.”
It’s easier for employees to get to know the guests in a smaller casino, marketing manager Cara Althoff said.
“We can be more social,” she said. “I’m always surprised how much the players get to know each other, too.”
Casino attendants are friendlier and more attentive, said Roxanne Harrison of Smokey Point.
“I’ve always liked the old one better,” she said. “I used to come here all the time. I just love it. It’s small. It’s cozy. You feel more at home.”
Harrison won a $500 jackpot – one of at least two paid out Wednesday – and said the video slot machines “are looser” and seem to pay out more often than at the larger Tulalip Casino.
That view was shared by others.
Dave Sawyer of Everett also was a regular at the old casino before the new, larger one opened.
“A lot of people I talk to are going to come back here. Out there, it seems like you never win anything. You win more here,” he said.
Slots manager Jeff Wheatley said people have that impression because at a smaller casino, if someone hits a jackpot, others can hear it. The Tulalip Casino is so large people often don’t hear the telltale sounds of a winning machine.
The smaller casino will be open only five days a week, and has just one fast-food restaurant. The casino has a no-smoking area among the slot machines.
“It’s very, very nice,” Wilma Gray of Everett said. “I like the lighting, and they have a good selection of machines. And this one’s closer to home.”
Yvonne Wenzler and friend Kimberly Waid both live on the Tulalip Reservation, and were regulars at the old casino.
“We’ve always had our hearts here,” Wenzler said. The Tulalip Casino “is probably a weekender” place to visit. “This is a weekday.”
Casino officials estimated that up to 500 people tried out the new machines and decor.
“It’s a little busier than we anticipated,” Wheatley said.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
Casino hours
The Quil Ceda Creek Casino at 3410 31st Ave. NE in Tulalip will be open five days a week, from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Monday.
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