Old Camp Casino facts for kids

The casino building in 2014, after it closed in 2012

The Old Camp Casino was a special building where people could play games for fun, like slot machines. It was owned and run by the Burns Paiute Tribe, a Native American tribe, and was located near Burns, in Oregon, United States.

The name "Old Camp" came from a tribal settlement that used to be in the same area many years ago, in the early 1900s.

History of Old Camp Casino

Building the Casino

It was tricky for the tribe to get money to build the casino. This was because the area was quite far away from big cities. Only about 7,000 people lived within 100 miles of the location.

In 1997, the tribe asked different companies for help. They chose a company called Wolf Gaming. However, that company soon went out of business.

Later, the tribe got a loan of $930,000 from another company. They also bought the casino building itself for $180,000. This building was moved all the way from northwest Washington to the Burns Paiute reservation.

Opening and Changes

The Old Camp Casino first opened its doors in September 1998. It was about 15,000 square feet in size. Inside, there were 75 slot machines, two poker tables, and a small restaurant called a deli. When it first opened, 53 people worked there.

Over time, the casino added 100 more slot machines. However, the table games, like poker, were not making enough money. So, they were removed from the casino.

Closing the Casino

The tribe decided to close the casino on November 26, 2012. This was because the building had structural problems, which meant it was not safe anymore.

The tribe announced that they would tear down the old building. They planned to build a brand new casino in its place. They hoped the new casino would open in the spring of 2013. However, by October 2014, the new casino had not yet opened.