The Mill Casino as it appeared in 1997. You can still see the plywood mill in this photo.

Can you believe it has almost 17 years since we have opened our doors?

The Mill’s Facebook page has been redesigned to fit in with Facebook’s new Timeline format. Part of that new design features some milestones in The Mill’s history. As we approach our 17th anniversary on May 15, we thought we would share those milestones here on our blog.

We really enjoyed looking back at the people and events of the last 17 years that made The Mill Casino what it is today and thought you would too. When you get a chance, take a look at our new Facebook page.

1989 Federal recognition of The Coquille Indian Tribe is restored by an act of Congress signed into law by President George H. W. Bush as Public Law 101-42 on June 28, 1989.

1992 Coquille Tribal Council creates the Coquille Economic Development Corporation to develop and manage businesses on behalf of the Coquille Tribe.

1994 The Coquille Tribe purchases the abandoned Sun Plywood Mill facility along the banks of the Coos Bay estuary.

1995 The Mill Casino opens for business on May 15, 1995.
Opening day was an adventure for everyone at The Mill – employees and guests. People throughout the region had ‘heard the buzz’ and were now gathering at the door hours before the scheduled opening. Inside, workers were still putting on the finishing touches when the decision to open the doors two hours early brought hundreds of new Mill guests into the casino for the first time. ‘There was such a crowd outside the casino that we had to open the doors early,’ said Tom Bohanan. ‘We were still laying carpet and setting slot machines when the doors opened.’

1995 First restaurant opens

1996 The Dock Fire Ask anyone who worked at The Mill during its first year about major events that have taken place and he or she eventually will start a sentence by saying, ‘Of course, there was the fire in 1996.’

On August 16, 1996 a fire began under the boardwalk to the north of The Mill and rapidly spread to areas under the casino itself. Firefighters from North Bend, Coos Bay, Charleston, Hauser and Florence joined with local and state law enforcement officers, the Coast Guard and a variety of area businesses to fight the fire and rebuild the damaged areas. Hard work by the staff and extra efforts by area businesses brought the casino back in less than 24 hours.

1997 The Mill Casino produces its first return on the Coquille Tribe’s sizeable investment. The Tribal Council used that first revenue to provide health insurance coverage for Tribal members. That effort has grown into a health insurance program that today covers Tribal members, employees of the Tribe and its businesses and their families.

1998 The original restaurant is rechristened as the Plank House.

2000 The 115-room Mill Hotel (now the Lodge) opens in June.

2001 The Coquille Tribe creates the Coquille Tribal Community Fund to share a portion of the proceeds from the casino with the community. By 2012, the Community Fund had issued $4.1 million in grants to non-profit organizations and government agencies in a five-county area.

2004 The Salmon Room opens, giving The Mill its first venue for indoor concerts, banquets and large meetings.  The Coquille Tribe purchases the 50.5-acre, former industrial land north of the casino. The property will be renamed and prepared for development as Ko-Kwel Wharf.

2005 The casino expands its table games offerings beyond Blackjack with the addition of Craps and Roulette tables.

2006 The RV Park opens, becoming the first new business on the Ko-Kwel Wharf property.  The Whitecaps lounge opens in October and leads to the demolition of the Hook Tender Saloon. These are the first steps in a major casino expansion project.

2007 A major expansion of the casino is completed in July. The project includes creation of Warehouse 101, a remodeled Timbers Café, Ko-Kwel Gifts, a larger Salmon Room and about 50% more casino space.

2008 The Hotel Tower opens in July adding 92 rooms including six suites, and executive suite, pool and hot tubs and a fitness center. Five new meeting rooms are added along with a full-service banquet kitchen.

What does the future hold?  What will we do next?  Only time will tell, but you can count on us to be here and bring you non-stop casino action, world class events and entertainment the friendliest service on the coast.

The Mill Casino today

Want to know the hottest ticket in town? An invite to $100,000 Grand Prize Winners’ Party on Monday April 30, 2012.

How do you score an invite April Winner’s Party? Simple. Guests will receive an invite now through April 15, 2012 by winning hand paid jackpots in Slots and iGaming.  You can also get invited when you win $400 or more (per session) at one of our Table Games.

• Guests get one drawing entry for each $100 of a hand paid jackpot (Maximum 20 entries per jackpot win.).
• Each time guests win a hand paid jackpot or qualifying table games win they get a voucher from Slots or Table Games that they redeem at the Mill Club booth for 500 points and an invitation to the party.
• Vouchers must be re-deemed at the Mill Club by April 15 to qualify for the party and receive the points.

$100,000 Grand Prize April Winners’ Party will be in the held in Salmon Room on Monday April 30 beginning at 4pm.  Enjoy a complimentary dinner buffet from 4-6:30pm and Door Prize drawings beginning at 6:30 PM! Winners and their guests are eligible to win door prizes if they are Mill Club members.

The Grand Prize Drawing will begin at 6:45 PM when ten entries are drawn from the barrel. 10 lucky winners will then attempt to “Crack the Code” by entering five numbers into the key pad. If you do not crack it, you will choose an envelope and open it to reveal a cash prize. The guaranteed prize money is $8000, ranging from $500 to $2000, but will be higher if someone cracks the code to win $100,000!

Are you a Mill Club Member? Do you like earning cash, free rooms, meals, merchandise and invitations to exclusive special events? If the answer is yes, click here to sign up and begin enjoying these benefits right away.

Have you ever noticed Mill Club members seem to have more fun at The Mill Casino?  Mill Club members enjoy great perks like earning cash, free rooms, meals, merchandise and invitations to exclusive special events.  Are you feeling left out and want to join the fun?  Visit our Mill Club booth located in the casino or click here to learn more. Here is a look ahead at whats in store for our Mill Club Members.

Coming Up! Jackpot Bonanza-Lucky Loot Monday, March 26, 2012 6:00 pm
Monday, March 26 at 6:00 pm, we will draw five winners to win a share of $10,000. Slot players and igaming players will get one entry for every hand paid jackpot won through 5:00 pm March 26 earn an entry into the drawing. Carded table games players will get one entry for every $400 cumulative win.

Happening Now! Hats- Mondays and Tuesdays now through March 27, 2012
Blackjack, Spanish 21, Three Card Poker, or Texas Hold’em Jack and Ace of spades wins a Mill Casino Hat!

Moolah for Mama May 13, 2012 2:00 pm
Celebrate Mother’s Day at The Mill! Table games will add up to $850 bonus cash to the Sunday Blackjack Tournament for female winners! Must be a Mill Club Member and have a valid photo ID to claim prize.

Multiplier Point Days
Elite Mill Club members will earn triple points and Premier guests will earn double points in slots, table games, hotel, food outlets, the gift shop, and the RV Park when they use their Mill Club card during the times listed below Bonus points do not apply towards any points-based promotion. If the guest’s birthday falls on a double/triple point day, points earned in slots or table games during the promotional time period will be tripled/quadrupled.

Anniversary! Friday, May 18, 2012 - 12:01am-11:59 pm
Memorial Day! Monday, May 28, 2012 6am-12pm
June Multiplier Point Days are Thursday, June 14 & Tuesday, June 26, 2012 12:01am-11:59 pm

17th Anniversary Slot tournaments May 19 & 20, 2012
We are celebrating our Sizzling 17th Anniversary with Team Slot Tournaments on May 19th & 20th from 1:00-6:00 pm. We are giving away over $4000 in cash, free play, and prizes each day!

Grills Gone Wild Sunday, May 27, 2012
Memorial Day Weekend means the start of Grill Season and its going to be wild at the Mill Casino. We will be giving away one Green Mountain pellet grill (an $800 value) and $25 free slot play once each hour from 11 am through 7 pm on Sunday May 27. Earn Entries: May 25- May 27

Jackpot Bonanza Monday, May 28, 2012 7:00 pm
Guests who win a hand paid Jackpot or cumulative table games win from April 16 until 6:00 pm May 28 earn an entry into our May Jackpot Bonanza drawings to win a share of $10,000, guaranteed!

Sawmill Sam Free Spins Tuesdays, June 5th & June 12th 9 am-9 pm Tuesday
On June 5th & 12th, Elite and Premier Mill Club Members can win bonus points from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Guests will show their mailer coupon and Elite or Premier Card at the player’s club booth and get a free minute of play on Sawmill Sam to earn bonus points.

Chevy Sonic Giveaway
Guests have the chance to win a brand new Chevy Sonic at the Mill Casino on June 17! We are also giving away $7300 in cash and free slot play!! The more you play May 29 – June 17, the more entries you will earn! Drawings to enter to win the Grand Prize will be at noon on Sundays: June 3, June 10 & June 17 The Grand Prize Drawing is 1:00 pm June 17 (Salmon Room West)

Dinero for Dad (Blackjack Tournament Bonus) Father’s Day June 17, 2012
Celebrate Father’s Day at The Mill! Table Games will add up to $850 bonus cash to the Sunday Blackjack Tournament for male winners.

Spring is officially here and that means BBQ, Blues & Brews on the Bay , sponsored by GMG & Marshfield Bargain House, is just around the corner!  This 3 day event features finger licking good BBQ (of course) , live entertainment by the Ty Curtis Band, Brooks Robertson and Coup d’Bop, beer gardens and a KCBS Sanctioned Barbecue Competition with a $5,000 Prize Fund!

The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and enjoying barbeque, is the world’s largest organization of barbeque and grilling enthusiasts with over 14,000 members worldwide.

Think you got what it takes to be a BBQ Champ? If so, sign up to participate in the BBQ Competition – click here to download the application- We are also looking for good judges who know their BBQ. Click here to download the application to be a judge.

Schedule of Events

Friday, May 25th
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Learn the ins and outs of BBQ and become a KCBS Certified Judge! – Spruce Room
5 p.m. – 10 p.m.- Welcome Reception with No-Host Bar and live music. 21 and over – Salmon Room
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Enjoy Award Winning BBQ with Hole in the Wall BBQ, The Mill Casino, and others.

Saturday, May 26th
12 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Taste d’ BBQ – Sample BBQ from the competitors – North dock.
12 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Enjoy food vendors, beer garden and Brooks Robertson. North dock.
8 p.m. – Ty Curtis Band Concert in Salmon Room with No Host Bar. 21 and over.

Sunday, May 27th
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Enjoy food vendors, beer garden and Coup d’Bop. North dock.
4 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Come join the fun!