The last day for the casino on Highway 101 north of Shelton is today. It will lay off 120 employees, including 80 full-time workers, General Manager Nick Phillips said.
Many of those employees commuted from cities such as Olympia and Belfair and about 10 percent of its staff was American Indian, he said.
It was just clear that the recession has hurt us, he said. We knew personally those customers who lost jobs and couldnt come in as much and we have a lot of seniors who are not willing to spend as much discretionary income.
Skokomish Tribal Council member Tom Strong and state Gambling Commission spokeswoman Susan Arland could not be reached Tuesday.
Phillips, who joined the casino in July 2007, said it expanded in 2006. Prior to that, he thought the casino had been in existence for five or six years, Phillips said. Before 2006, the Lucky Dog Casino was about the size of a convenience store until it underwent a $4 million expansion to enlarge the gaming area, restaurant, lounges and gift shop. Once the casino building closes, the gaming area and other operations will close, too, he said. The employees wont receive a severance package. They will receive their final paycheck, including any accrued vacation time, Phillips said.
Summers usually were busy enough to help the casino survive the off season, but not this past summer, he said. It wasnt strong enough to push us through the winter, Phillips said.
He said he made a recommendation to the Skokomish Tribal Council to close the casino for the winter, which the council debated before taking action. A decision or a plan to reopen the casino has yet to be made, he said.
In addition to the economy, the Lucky Dog Casino also faced competition from other tribal casinos in Mason and Thurston counties. The Red Wind, Lucky Eagle and Little Creek casinos have undergone significant expansion projects in recent years.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403
rboone@theolympian.com
