Yakama tribal casino opens 200-room hotel

TOPPENISH, Wash. (AP) - The Yakama Nation is opening a 200-room hotel at its Legends Casino near the town of Toppenish.

The hotel opens to the public on Saturday. It's a central part of a $90 million expansion for Legends Casino, which seeks to stay competitive with other tribal-owned casinos throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The expansion is expected to generate 200 new jobs for the casino, which opened in 1998. Currently, it employs 745 workers.

John Cooper, CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism, says the hotel adds an upscale option to the lodging mix in the central Yakima Valley.