Casino manager Nino Maltos walks past a bank of slot machines as he gives a tour of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe’s new casino, Last Chance Bingo and Casino, on Monday in Darrington. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

Casino manager Nino Maltos walks past a bank of slot machines as he gives a tour of the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe’s new casino, Last Chance Bingo and Casino, on Monday in Darrington. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

Sauk-Suiattle Tribe’s casino and bingo hall near completion

The place will have a rustic feel and a Bigfoot theme, apropos the scenic location near Darrington.

DARRINGTON — The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s new casino and bingo hall is a ways out there.

That’s part of the character, according to the team behind the project. Expect a rustic feel and nods to the mythical Bigfoot.

Last Chance Casino and Bingo is about six miles outside of Darrington, headed toward Rockport on Highway 530. It was scheduled to open Sept. 1, but that date has been moved back as construction crews work to finish the building. The goal still is to open in September with a celebration and giveaways. A date has not been set.

“It’s been kind of a slow crawl lately, but we’re getting there,” casino manager Nino Maltos said. “And once we’re there, it’s going to be beautiful.”

The tribe, with about 300 members, has aimed to open a bingo hall for years. There were attempts that never gained traction, and near misses. Maltos has been working on the project since 2016. Along with a bingo hall, the plans grew to include slot machines, a cafe and a small bar and lounge.

To make that a reality, the Sauk-Suiattle partnered with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. When the partnership was announced earlier this year, the Shoalwater Bay Casino called it “a landmark display of tribe-to-tribe assistance.”

Last Chance is expected to employ up to 50 people, Maltos said. The building is about 8,000 square feet and will have 188 slot machines and at least 65 seats for bingo, along with the cafe and bar.

The new building is on property that used to have a gas station and general store. The casino’s Bennetville Cafe is named after the store, and the Barstow Lounge is named for the family that sold the land to the tribe.

Workers move one of two cedar poles that will be part of the entrance to the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe’s new casino, Last Chance Bingo and Casino. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

Workers move one of two cedar poles that will be part of the entrance to the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe’s new casino, Last Chance Bingo and Casino. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)

There’s a view of Whitehorse Mountain from the parking lot, which is to be paved soon. Last week, workers prepared two large cedar logs to be hoisted into place as part of the front awning. The inside of the building smelled of fresh paint — sky blue in the main room and pale green in the bingo area, where a raised platform can be used for bingo calling or live performances. Slot machines, dark and covered in plastic, sat in rows. A bright white room in the back awaited installation of a large metal vault.

Bingo is a break-even endeavor, Maltos said. Adding slot machines and places to eat and drink makes for a casino that can turn a profit and draw more visitors.

The casino will have a club-card program called Whitehorse Rewards, he said. The logo is a sketch of a canoe with a mountain in the background and the word Sobah-Li-Ali, which means Whitehorse Mountain. It also is the name of an ocean-faring canoe the tribe takes on canoe journeys.

Maltos hopes club members will see the word on their cards and ask about its meaning.

“It’s a conversation starter,” he said.

Maltos drew a logo for the casino — a mountain goat perched on a summit — and another for Bigfoot Bingo, complete with “bingo” spelled out in the toes of the large footprint.

There also will be a Bigfoot Burger at the cafe, a Bigfoot Brew made by a local brewery and Bigfoot Bucks promotions on the gaming floor, Maltos said.

Traffic on the highway is fairly steady much of the year, thanks to the scenic loop from Arlington to Rockport to Burlington, and access to the North Cascades Highway, Maltos said. RVs and motorcycles pass by frequently on nice days.

Sara Comstock, food and beverage manager, hopes the casino will keep its rustic feel, even if it expands someday. This is the type of place that should have a lodge, not a hotel, she said.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Members of South County Fire practice onboarding and offboarding a hovering Huey helicopter during an interagency disaster response training exercise at Arlington Municipal Airport on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Arlington, Washington. The crews learned about and practiced safe entry and exit protocols with crew from Snohomish County Volunteer Search and Rescue before begin given a chance to do a live training. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish, King counties train together for region’s next disaster

Dozens of agencies worked with aviators Tuesday to coordinate a response to a simulated earthquake or tsunami.

Police stand along Linden Street next to orange cones marking pullet casings in a crime scene of a police involved shooting on Friday, May 19, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lake Stevens man identified in Everett manhunt, deadly police shooting

Travis Hammons, 34, was killed by officers following a search for an armed wanted man in a north Everett neighborhood.

Ciscoe Morris, a longtime horticulturist and gardening expert, will speak at Sorticulture. (Photo provided by Sorticulture)
Get your Sorticulture on: Garden festival returns to downtown Everett

It’s a chance to shop, dance, get gardening tips, throw an axe and look through a big kaleidoscope. Admission is free.

Funko mascots Freddy Funko roll past on a conveyor belt in the Pop! Factory of the company's new flagship store on Aug. 18, 2017.  (Dan Bates / The Herald)
Lawsuit: Funko misled investors about Arizona move

A shareholder claims Funko’s decision to relocate its distribution center from Everett to Arizona was “disastrous.”

Lynnwood
1 stabbed at apartment in Lynnwood

The man, 26, was taken to an Everett hospital with “serious injuries.”

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. Highway 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Red flag fire warning issued west of Cascades

There are “critical fire weather” conditions due to humidity and wind in the Cascades, according to the National Weather Service.

A house fire damaged two homes around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo provided by Marysville Fire District)
Fire burns 2 homes in Marysville, killing 2 dogs

Firefighters responded to a report of a fire north of Lakewood Crossing early Tuesday, finding two houses engulfed in flames.

Snohomish County vital statistics

Marriage licenses, dissolutions and deaths.

An external audit listed over 100 recommendations, such as getting body cameras, minimizing excessive traffic stops and hiring more officers, for the Edmonds Police Department. (Edmonds Police Department)
Police: Man impersonating Edmonds officer pulls over citizen

The man wore a vest that said “sheriff” and claimed to be an Edmonds police officer.

Most Read