The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is investing further in its Wildhorse Resort & Casino located in Eastern Oregon.
On Tuesday, the federally acknowledged tribe with a Class III gaming compact with the State of Oregon, permitting it to run traditional slot machines and live-dealer table games, revealed a $100 million expansion of Wildhorse. A statement regarding the initiative mentioned that the ongoing two-year project aims to “improve the Las Vegas-style gaming experience.”
Most of the money will be allocated for building a 10-story, 214-room hotel tower. Plans are underway for a 15,000-square-foot event and convention center, which will include a new restaurant and banquet kitchen facility.
"We want to create more memorable experiences through forward-thinking investments in areas that impact our guests as soon as they walk in our doors,” said Gary George, CEO of Wildhorse Resort & Casino. “A consistent, high-quality casino experience is the difference for consumers and the region.”
Upon the completion of the hotel expansion, the Wildhorse resort will feature over 400 keys. When set up for live music, the event center will accommodate 1,500 attendees.
Wildhorse Racing Forward
Since 1999, the Umatilla Indian Tribe has reinvested into Wildhorse annually through new features and improvements. However, this week’s announcement is the most significant since the tribe finished its $45 million hotel in October 2011.
The Wildhorse Resort & Casino features 1,100 slot machines, 14 table games, live keno and bingo, along with a poker room. Even though the tribe can seek sports betting rights via its Class III gaming agreement, the low-margin industry still appeals little to the Umatilla Indians.
Outside the casino area, the tribal resort features numerous family-oriented attractions, prominently the Family FunPlex, which boasts a 24-lane bowling alley, a 30-game arcade, a five-screen cinema, and a four-eatery food court serving ice cream, burgers, fish and chips, and pho. Wildhorse also features an 18-hole golf course.
The tribe's $100 million funding aims to attract bigger corporate events, weddings, and various gatherings to the resort situated a few miles east of Pendleton's downtown. The city serves as the county seat for Umatilla County, located 150 air miles east of Portland, the most populated city in Oregon.
Oregon Indigenous Gaming
Oregon has nine tribes that are recognized by the federal government. Every tribe except for the Burns Paiute Tribe runs a casino.
The Burns Paiute shut down its Old Camp Casino in 2012. The tribe's isolated position in Harney County caused challenges for its casino and hindered its efforts to find a partner and financial backer.
The Umatilla Tribe allocates as much as 6% of the gross gaming revenue from Wildhorse's slot machines and table games to support its Wildhorse Foundation. The philanthropic branch offers funding to nonprofits and/or infrastructure.
The Oregon compacts mandate that gaming tribes bear all "reasonable expenses of essential street, road, or highway upgrades" connected to their tribal gaming establishments and resorts.
