Washington: new Emerald Queen Casino to open June 8

The Puyallup Tribe announced on Monday that its new Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma will open its doors on June 8.

"The day will begin with a prayer and opening ceremony at 9 a.m. After the ceremony, the casino’s doors will open exclusively for tribal members. At noon, it will open to the general public," the tribe announced in a news release.

The site had been set to open in late March, but the coronavirus pandemic led the tribe to temporarily shutter casino operations, followed by layoffs and furloughs.

The Fife location of Emerald Queen Casino reopened May 18 with new COVID-19 safety measures in place, including limited occupancy, temperature scans upon entry and requiring face masks for both guests and staff, along with frequent sanitization on site.

Those same restrictions will apply for the new casino, the News Tribune reports.

“We want to thank our staff and predecessors on Council for their perseverance. They’ve worked hard to make this dream an amazing reality,” the Tribal Council, the tribe’s governing body, said in a statement Monday.

The 310,000-square-foot facility will be home to five restaurants including a small cafe, a fine dining restaurant, a buffet, a coffee shop and a sports bar, “though COVID-19 restrictions will initially be in place,” according to Monday’s announcement.

The new site replaces the Tacoma I-5 casino, which was a former bingo hall with three large adjoining tents.

The Fife location remains open. A free shuttle service will be offered to the new location from EQC in Fife. Overflow parking with free shuttle service also will be available at the nearby former EQC I-5 Tacoma location off East 32nd Street.

Looking ahead, a 12-story, 170-room hotel is under construction next to the new casino and is set to be completed this summer.