ARLINGTON — The big news in local casino gambling this week is the grand opening of the Tulalip Hotel, the 12-story luxury tower that offers gamblers a chance to sleep mere footsteps from the slot machines and poker tables.
But for those who crave a little less Vegas-style flash, the Stillaguamish Indian Tribe promises that a drive a few miles north of Tulalip is worth the extra gas.
Though the grand opening of an expansion to Angel of the Winds Casino, meant to nearly quadruple the venue in size, is still months away, more gamblers than ever are trying their luck in Arlington.
“We’ve seen a nice increase since we announced the expansion,” Angel of the Winds General Manager Travis O’Neil said. “We have new guests, and some of our current customers are visiting and getting excited for the expansion.”
The casino welcomes about 800,000 every year, but that number likely will be more this year, O’Neil said.
The expansion is more of a full-scale makeover than a minor renovation, but O’Neil said the casino will always be “the world’s friendliest,” a motto casino officials repeat whenever compared with the Tulalip Tribes’ resort down the road.
“A casino is a casino,” O’Neil said. “They offer the same machines, tables, restaurants. But the actual place can be special by how you treat people, and that’s what we focus on. We are as friendly as we possibly can be.”
Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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