Emerald Queen Casino opens with celebration and COVID-19 safety precautions
The wait is over.
After years of planning, raising funds, construction, then a temporary shutdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the new Emerald Queen Casino reopened Monday to an emotional celebration with songs, dance and plenty of face coverings.
The Puyallup Tribe, which has been developing the $400 million casino for years, launched the Tacoma site with an opening ceremony commemorating those who’d helped bring the project to fruition.
Not long after, it was open for the general public.
“I’m ecstatic. It (the opening) is one of the great things that’s happened to our tribe in a long, long time,” said Puyallup Tribal Council Vice Chairman Bill Sterud. “You know with the coronavirus and all this stuff going on, all of a sudden we have a happy moment. My heart’s soaring right now.”
Original plans called for the casino to open in late March, but that was delayed after the pandemic swept through Washington state, leading the tribe to temporarily shutter casino operations.
To accommodate customers during the pandemic, the casino is limiting occupancy, performing temperature scans upon entry and requiring face masks for both guests and staff, along with frequent sanitization for high-touch areas.
“We’re going the best we can — social distancing, masks, gloves, whatever it takes,” Sterud said. “We’re being very vigilant on how we open this place.”
The site replaces the Tacoma I-5 casino, which was a former bingo hall with three large adjoining tents.
The EQC Fife location remains open, with a free shuttle service offered to the new location. 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.
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 4:49 PM.
