BEND Warm Springs tribal officials in central Oregon plan to open a new casino in a few weeks.

Its not in the Columbia Gorge, as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs long hoped.

But it is on U.S. Highway 26 linking the Portland area with central Oregon cities.

Tribal officials tell the Bend Bulletin they hope the 24-hour casino at Warm Springs will triple or quadruple gross revenue to as much as $12 million a year.

Last month, the tribes closed the casino at Kah-Nee-Ta resort 20 miles away and off the main road.

Kah-Nee-Ta is so far off the beaten path (visitors) had to make the decision to go there, said Deepak Sehga, chairman of the casino board. It was not an ad hoc thing. Indian Heads easy access encourages people to stop by and take a look.

The new, 40,000-square-foot casino has a restaurant, gift shop, deli and an 18,000-square-foot gambling room with 500 slot machines and eight blackjack tables. It cost $13.5 million. It opens to the public at 6 p.m. on Feb. 4.

It is expected to employ 280 people, 70 to 80 in the restaurant.

Opposition from public officials and conservationists has so far thwarted the tribes efforts to put a casino at Cascade Locks in the gorge.