Spirit Mountain Casino shuts down until further notice

The Grand Ronde Tribal Council and Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. are extending the closure of Spirit Mountain Casino until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic, the parties announced Thursday. This is the second time the Tribal Council has extended the closure.

"Everyday we watch the number of cases of COVID-19 grow across Oregon, the region, and the country,” said Grand Ronde Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy. “These closures are one way that we can work to protect our staff, our community, and our guests.”

Casino Manager Stan Dillon said time in which the casino is closed has been used to make improvements to the facilities, including Spirit Mountain Lodge.

"We’re continuing our remodel of the Lodge, re-vamping our menus and looking forward to welcoming our guests when the COVID-19 crisis is behind us," Dillon said.

Tribal Council said it is is continuing to support their staff during these challenging times and unanimously authorized a second allocation of 120 hours of paid time off for casino and government employees.

In total, casino and government employees will have received 240 hours, or six weeks, of paid time off.

Grand Ronde Tribal Council and the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors are meeting regularly and will revisit this closure as necessary.