UPDATE: Ilani Casino hits parking capacity on opening day, clogs I-5 for miles

Correction*

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe's years-long effort to build a gaming hub in the heart of Clark County culminates Monday with the opening of the Ilani Casino Resort near La Center.

The tribe overcame numerous legal and regulatory hurdles, including having to secure its tribal status, to complete the $510 million project just off Interstate 5. Here are six things to know about the Ilani Casino to help guide your first visit:

The name: The word Ilani (pronounced ay-lon-ay) means "sing" in the Cowlitz language. The tribe hopes that guests "will find their 'inner ilani'" when they visit, Cowlitz spiritual leader Tanna Engdahl said when the name was announced last year.

Transportation: C-Tran, Clark County's transit agency, doesn't have service to the casino and says it has no immediate plans to add it. That means most people will have to get there by car.

The Ilani sits off Interstate 5, near Exit 16, some 16 miles north of the Portland-Vancouver border. The tribe built a new freeway interchange with dual turn lanes designed to usher traffic off the ramps quickly.

Department spokesman Bart Treece says the agency doesn't expect major traffic impacts. "This is new, so we really don't know," he said. "It just depends on how many people show up and at what time."

Parking: The Ilani has free parking for 3,000 vehicles on its 152-acre site in anticipation of the projected 4.5 million visitors it expects each year. Don't want to walk across all that asphalt? Valet and VIP service are available. But RV-ers be warned: There's no parking for your rigs.

Gaming: Expect to be overwhelmed by the casino's 100,000 square-foot gaming floor with its 2,500 slot machines and 75 table games. Slot games include 88 Fortunes, Friends, Fu Dao Le, Golden Rooster, Pharaoh's Fortune, and Queen of the Nile. At the tables, look for Blackjack, Craps, Midi-Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Roulette, Spanish 21, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas hold'em.

Smoking is allowed in about a third of that space, an area that includes 1,159 slot machines and 12 table games. For those who'd rather take their chances from home, Ilani also offers online gaming.

Dining and shopping: On opening day, patrons can choose from 11 dining, drinking and coffee outlets, and three shopping venues. The 360 Bar is the central non-gaming gathering spot in the 368,000-square-foot casino. Look also for Muze, a small theater and bar that will feature smaller acts and DJ-powered music.

The most prominent among the four sit-down restaurants opening next week is the 300-seat Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, a chain making its debut in the Portland-Vancouver market. Others are Line & Lure, Rose & Thorn, and Longhouse. A food court will offer several dining choices, including the ubiquitous Starbucks.

One surprise: Ilani will not have a buffet. A casino spokeswoman offered no explanation for the departure from the quintessential casino experience.

Ilani has three retail outlets: women's fashion boutique Marshall Rousso; its sister brand, the jewelry and accessories seller Ruby Blue; and the Cowlitz Trading Post, which carries apparel, gifts and snacks.

Looking ahead: The Cowlitz tribe and its development partner, Salishan-Mohegan LLC, plan to add convention center space with seating for 2,500 later this year. The space can be used for national entertainment acts or divided for smaller activities such as civic organization meetings and events. In the longer run, the tribe hopes to build a hotel.

The Cowlitz tribe says it is committed to contributing 2 percent of the casino's net income to local arts and education programs. It hasn't provided details on how it will make allocation decisions.

--Gordon Oliver, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

* An earlier version of this report incorrectly said the Washington State Department of Transportation built the interchange near the casino.