Cowltiz tribe dubs its new Washington gaming venue the Ilani Casino Resort

The Cowltz Indian Tribe’s in-development casino in Washington state has finally been given a name: the Ilani Resort Casino.

Work began on the new $500m gaming venue in Clark County last September but the development – a collaboration with Connecticut’s Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA) – had operated under the less than glamorous title of the Cowlitz Casino Project.

On Monday, Cowlitz spiritual leader Tanna Engdahl explained that Ilani meant ‘sing’ in the Cowlitz language. Engdahl said the tribe “have always believed in the power of singing” and hoped the property’s guests “will find their ‘inner Ilani’ upon visiting out beautiful resort.”

The casino is scheduled to open in “late spring” 2017 with a 100k-square-foot gaming floor offering 2,500 slots, 75 gaming tables, 60 high-limit slots and five VIP tables. Non-gaming amenities will include a variety of lounges, restaurants and retail facilities, as well as a 2,500-seat multi-purpose room. A second phase including a hotel will follow in three or four years.