Bear River Casino: Betting on their future

Ann Johnson-Stromberg Times-Standard
Eureka Times Standard

LOLETA -- With only a handful of hours to go before show time, Bear River Casino employees are having to beat off wannabe gamblers with a stick.

The lure is obvious: A 31,500-square-foot casino featuring 320 slot machines, 10 gaming tables and three poker tables. The temptation appears to be too much for many would-be gamblers; Marketing Manager Art Collins said these past few days he has found himself shooing away a lot of them.

Located on Singley Road just off U.S. Highway 101 at Exit 692, Humboldt County’s newest casino will open to the public at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

While visiting the Thirsty Bear Sports Bar and Grill, visitors can catch a drink at the giant horseshoe-shaped bar and watch the game on what’s billed as the largest plasma television screen on the North Coast. The Rivers Edge Restaurant will serve up all types of casual and fine-dining fare from sandwiches or the salad bar to steak and salmon. Buffet dining may be available on occasion in the future, but Collins said the casino will not offer that on a regular basis.

A sneak preview Monday provided slot machines in various states of assembly and an absence of tables and chairs in the restaurant. The roaring music on the loud speaker was interrupted by the occasional “testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.”

The Bear River’s signature paw print is on everything, from chairs to custom carpets.

Newly trained dealers were at the gaming tables, trying their skills at Spanish 21, Black Jack and Fortune Pai-Gon. Construction workers were putting the finishing touches on practically everything.

Despite some of the unfinished details, Leonard Bowman, Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria tribal chairman, said the casino’s staff of 205 will make sure it will be ready to open on Wednesday. The Bear River Casino cost $17.5 million to build, and Bowman said it’s taken 10 years and an extraordinary amount of jumping through bureaucratic hoops for the casino to become a reality.

”Quite a few younger fellas have watched me fight for (Bear River Casino) since they were teenagers, and now they have joined me the last three or four years to find out what it’s like to fight for something,” Bowman said. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy because we are not open yet, but when we do -- it will be a relief.”

Collins said the casino wants to be known as a good neighbor to the community. The goal is to offer quality customer service and a player-friendly environment with better odds.

Wednesday’s grand opening will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6 p.m., feature live entertainment and offer full access to all the casino’s amenities.

Bear River Casino is the third American Indian casino in Humboldt County, joining Trinidad’s Cher-ae Heights Casino and Blue Lake Casino in Blue Lake.

Ann Johnson-Stromberg covers business and general assignment. She can be reached at 441-0538 or astromberg@times-standard.com