Royal River Casino expansion relaunches

LEO A DALY has completed the multi-year repositioning of the Royal River Casino in South Dakota. The renovation and expansion, completed in phases, reimagines the resort as the region’s premier entertainment destination.

The project was made possible through a $25 million investment from the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, who have owned and operated the casino resort since 1990. LEO A DALY’s Minneapolis studio provided architecture, interior design and structural, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering.

Gaming areas and hotel spaces have received floor-to-ceiling updates, including a restaurant, bar, gift shop and VIP lounge. A new administrative building provides state-of-the-art administrative space for tribal functions.

The resort’s interior design celebrates regional and tribal history using wood and stone accents and abstract references to the porcupine, which figures heaviliy in Sioux arts and mythology. Creative lighting treatments and colors improve wayfinding and add visual interest. New guests and existing clientele will enjoy the consistently updated entertainment acts, food and beverage menus and an ever-changing visual atmosphere enabled by dynamic lighting.

“With each phase of the project, guests to the casino have continued to enjoy the exceptional guest service the property has become known for, while also benefiting from the continued improvements in air quality, aesthetic, and overall gaming experience” said senior operations director Tim Morrissey.

“The design gives new life to an important cultural asset of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe,” said Cindy McCleary, managing principal of the Minneapolis studio of LEO A DALY. “Our partnership with Royal River Casino and Henry Carlson Construction resulted in an outstanding destination to serve the entire region.”