History
CELEBRATINGÂ 27 YEARSÂ OF HISTORY.
Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has built a flourishing community to provide for their membership and surrounding communities.
Grand Ronde Restoration Hearing before Congress
1983: GRAND RONDE TRIBE RESTORED
In 1954, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde were terminated by the Federal Government. This meant they would no longer be recognized as a Native American tribe, and they would no longer receive federal funding for programs to help their people.
Many tribal members left the area to find a better life, and many members struggled to find their identity. After nearly 20 years of termination, a small group of Grand Ronde tribal members began what would become one of the greatest achievements of the Grand Ronde people. The group began a fight that became a decade-long struggle. They fought to restore recognition of their people. They fought to restore pride and honor. And they fought to restore their identity.
What started as a small group, soon became a community effort. And after years of hard work and determination by many, the group's push to restore federal recognition for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was finally realized when President Ronald Reagan signed the Grand Ronde Restoration Bill into law on November 22, 1983.
1988: NATION INDIAN GAMING REGULATORY ACT
1993: GAMING COMPACT SIGNED
Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts, who was governor from 1991-95, signed a gaming compact with Grand Ronde in 1993 and the Tribal membership voted to pursue gaming in 1994. Roberts was Oregon's 34th governor and the first woman to be elected to the office. "She came out to the powwow to sign the compact. It was quite an experience," says Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council member Ed Larsen.
Bruce Thomas, the casino's first General Manager, tours the construction site.
1994: CASINO CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
Tribal leadership secured an $18.9 million loan from John Hancock Insurance Co. and broke ground on the casino project in October 1994. Six months later, the casino's new logo - a coyote jumping over Spirit Mountain - was unveiled.
1995: SPIRIT MOUNTAIN CASINO OPENS
1997: COMMUNITY FUND CREATED
In 1997, the Tribe began fulfilling its tradition of potlatch, a ceremony at which good fortune is distributed, by sharing 6 percent of the casino's profits through Spirit Mountain Community Fund. The fund's focus is to improve the quality of life in northwest Oregon through community investments that provide lasting benefits consistent with the Tribe's culture and values.
To date, Spirit Mountain Community Fund has distributed more than $84 million to nonprofit, charitable organizations in 11 counties in Oregon, as well as awarded grants to the nine federally recognized Tribes in the state.
Casino Expansions
1997: New Game Options Such as Roulette and Craps.
Table games such as Craps and Roulette are introduced to the gaming floor.
1998: 100 Room Hotel
The next big development at Spirit Mountain Casino was the opening of the new 100-room hotel on Dec. 21, 1998. Just five months after Spirit Mountain Hotel opened, the Oregon Tourism Commission declared the casino to be the state's top tourist destination, besting perennial top attraction Multnomah Falls.
2000: Gaming Floor Expansion
The largest expansion in gaming capacity taking us from just over 800 slot machines to 1500. Major changes as hundreds of new slots are brought in and the Coyote Club, Main Cage, and Poker all move to new locations.
2001: Gaming Floor Expansion
In 2001, Spirit Mountain Casino expanded again when construction work began and 5,200 square feet of gaming floor was added. The new space made room for an additional 200 slot machines.
2005: Hotel EXPANSION, 163 NEW ROOMS
In April 2004, construction work began on a new expansion to the hotel. With the hotel running at a 95-percent occupancy rate, the new rooms were needed. The five-story addition added 163 rooms and opened in April 2005.
2006: 500 ADDITIONAL SLOT MACHINES
On Sept. 1, 2006, the casino opened The Peak area, offering additional gaming space.
2008: SOUTH EXPANSION COMPLETE
On Feb. 5, 2007, a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of construction work on the southern expansion project at Spirit Mountain. The expansion was completed and opened on May 15, 2008. The fourth major expansion added 132,000 square feet of space to the casino and is the new home of the Cedar Plank Buffet and the new Events Center that seats as many as 2,000 people.
2009: SPORTS BAR OPENS, REMODELED ORIGINAL HOTEL ROOMS
On May 23, 2009, the casino opened the Mountain View Sports Bar, which features a 100-inch projection screen television and 15 plasma screens for guests to watch sporting events while enjoying food and beverages.
2016: CASINO REMODEL PROJECT
The comprehensive 82,000 square foot design-build remodel transformed the Spirit Mountain location. Revenues did not go down, but actually went up during the remodel. The transformation provided a dramatic gaming experience as well as delivered a property wide upgrade to the image of the casino.
2020: HOTEL REMODEL, SPORTSBOOK OPENS
After becoming legal in many states, sportsbetting is offered at Spirit Mountain. The state's largest sportsbook opened on August 28, 2020, and began taking action on professional and collegiate sporting events.
Sportsbook
