Casino On Flathead Lake
- Casino On Flathead Lake Montana
- Kwataqnuk Resort
- Flathead Lake Weather
- Kwataqnuk Resort & Casino Polson
The view, facility and our staff are some of the best Montana has to offer. So come and be their honored guest 'Where the Water Leaves the Lake.' For your entertainment pleasure, the Best Western KwaTaqNuk offers a 24-hour casino featuring 110 video gaming machines where you can win up to $500,000. Spend your time gambling at the onsite casino, taking a cruise on the beautiful Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, or visiting local shops and museums. Their lakefront restaurant features a menu with many local specialties, and the marina offers boat rentals and more.
LAKESIDE, Mont. (AP) _ A twin-engine plane that crashed and burned near a popular resort at Flathead Lake in western Montana killed all 10 people on board, including the members of a popular bluegrass band, authorities said.
All five members of The Montana Band died when the Beechcraft plane went down Saturday night, along with the group’s road manager, sound manager, the plane’s pilot and a female friend of his and the 12-year-old son of a band member, said the Flathead County sheriff’s office.
Some witnesses said they saw an airplane ″buzzing″ the lake shortly before the crash. Federal Aviation Administration investigator Don Paul said, ″We believe it was the same one (plane), but we haven’t confirmed that yet.″
″They buzzed one of the boats on the lake. It looked like they knew somebody in the boat. They came over low and waggled their wings,″ said one witness, Virgil Deppmeier of Los Altos, Calif.
Corky Derby, a spokeswoman for the Flathead County sheriff’s office, confirmed that incidents of airplane ″buzzing″ were reported Saturday afternoon and later in the evening.
The band, based in Reno, Nev., had become popular among country music fans since winning the country division of the Willie Nelson Music Invitational last year in Austin, Texas.
The group never had a national hit, but recorded four albums and made numerous appearances on television. They had played the Reno-Tahoe casino showroom circuit for more than a decade, as well as colleges, nightclubs, state fairs and rodeos across the country.
Art Long, publicity director for John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks, Nev., where the group played 22 times since 1980, said the group was one of the most popular acts ever to play the casino.
″They were only a step away from the main showrooms and from the big-time with groups like Alabama and the Oak Ridge Boys,″ Long said. ″We’re very saddened because the guys had exceptional talent and personalities. ″
A spokeswoman said the band had played a private engagement at Lakeside and taken off from the Kalispell City Airport en route to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to play Saturday night in nearby Post Falls.
The plane went down 12-15 miles south of the airport just after 8 p.m., said Corky Derby, information officer for the sheriff’s office.
It hit the top of pine trees 20 yards away from U.S. 93, tearing off a portion of the tail section and then cut a burning swath through trees before plowing into an apple orchard. Musical instruments were scattered around the wreckage.
″I could see the plane coming up over the house,″ said Dellivan Thornton, who saw the crash from about a half-mile away. ″She was coming real low and made a curve and then she just went down and hit between two trees.″
Two investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration office in Helena were on the scene Sunday morning, and Derby said officials from the National Transportation Safety Board office in Denver were expected later in the day.
Gene Holliday, who lives nearby, said he saw the plane come in off Flathead Lake and go into a roll.
″I saw the angle and knew it was going in,″ Holliday said. He said the engines sounded as if they stalled.
Derby said witnesses who saw the plane crash had varying accounts of what occurred moments before impact and the ensuing fire. ″Everybody saw something different,″ she said.
″There were so many eyewitnesses. ... The lake was full of people″ boating on the Fourth of July, she said.
The victims were identified as pilot Joe Taylor of Athol, Idaho, his friend Jean Bernadine Lemery of Coeur d’Alene; 12-year-old Dallas Tipton, son of band member Clifford Tipton of Reno, Nev., who also was killed; sound manager Dale Anderson, Fort Benton; and band manager Tom Sawan of Missoula. The other band members were identified as Kurt Bergeron, Spokane, Wash.; Allan Larson, Tulsa, Okla.; Grady Whitfield, Salt Lake City; and Terry Robinson, Whitefish.
The bodies were burned beyond recognition and ages were unavailable, Derby said. It was estimated that most of the victims were in their late 20s or early 30s.
Other entertainers killed in plane crashes included singer Rick Nelson, who had been featured with his family on the long-running TV series ″The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.″ Nelson, 45, and members of his Stone Canyon Band were killed in December 1985 when their DC-3 crash-landed near DeKalb, Texas.
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. ″The Big Bopper″ Richardson were killed in 1959 when their plane crashed near Mason City, Iowa, en route to a show in Fargo, N.D.
Country star Patsy Cline was killed in 1963 in a crash near Camden, Tenn., and country singer Jim Reeves died the following year in a crash near Nashville, Tenn.
Rhythm and blues artist Otis Redding died in Wisconsin with members of his band in 1967. Rock star Jim Croce died in a 1973 crash near Natchitoches, La., and Ronnie Van Zant and some members of his Lynyrd Skynyrd band died in 1977 in a crash in McComb, Miss.
TYPES OF CASINOS IN MONTANA
Montana casinos are all located on Indian reservations and they do not offer table games. Instead, the casinos in Montana only offer electronic gaming machines.
Shown below is a list of all Indian casinos in Montana. Click on a casino name to see a page of detailed information about that particular casino.
Want to See a Map of all casinos in Montana?
Visit our Montana casinos map page to see a detailed map showing all casinos in that state.
Details on Indian Casinos in Montana
Native American casinos in Montana offer Class II video gaming devices that have the appearance of slot machines, but in actuality are bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” Some Montana Indian casinos also offer sports betting. These gaming machines have a maximum bet of $5, and a maximum payout of $1,500.
The minimum gambling age at Montana casinos is 18.
There are no casinos located in Billings, Montana. The closest casino would be Apsaalooke Nights which is located 60 miles east in the city of Crow Agency.
Montana Sports Betting
There is legal sports betting in Montana. Be sure to check each individual casino’s listing page to see if it offers sports betting.
Slot Machine Payback Percentages at Montana Indian Casinos
Native American reservations are not required to have a minimum payback percentage on gaming machines, nor are they required to release slot machine payback percentages to the public.
Unlike the Indian casinos in Montana, in many states the slot machine payback statistics for that particular state’s casinos are released as a matter of public record. Just click here to see a list of slot machine payback statistics for casinos in all U.S. states.
Video Gaming Machines in Montana Bars and Taverns
Gaming laws in Montana also permit bars and taverns to house up to 20 video gaming devices that offer such games as video keno, video poker, or video bingo. There are more than 1,400 locations in Montana with more than 16,000 gaming machines in operation and the machines are all regulated by the state’s Gambling Control Division.
The gaming machines only allow for a maximum bet of $2, and only give a maximum payout of $800. Montana gaming law requires these gaming machines to have a minimum return of 80%. All video gaming locations in Montana have a minimum gambling age of 18 and are only allowed to be open from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m.
Planning a visit to Montana casinos?
For more information on visiting Montana casinos, or for other tourism information, call (800) VISIT-MT or go to: www.visitmt.com
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TOP THINGS TO DO IN MONTANA
Montana is popularly known as a top destination for outdoor lovers. The state offers varieties of outdoor activities such as water sports, winter sports, hiking, biking, etc. to tourists. The state is also popularly called the Big Sky Country as it features rugged otherworldly scenery. The state is the fourth largest state in and the most northerly state in the country. Montana is a dream destination for nature and wildlife lovers due to the low population of people in the state. Some of the best things to do in Montana are listed below.
Glacier National Park
This park covers one million acres of land and it is considered to be paradise on earth by those who visit it. The park is filled with numerous activities that you can try out such as exploring the 700 miles of hiking and biking trails, go on a scenic drive on 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun road, relax at the lakes, wander around the 7,700-foot-high Logan Pass, and so on. The park is surely the most popular tourist attraction in Montana and you will surely be amazed by the views here. The park is also called the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem and you will surely come back after your first visit to this park once you are in the state.
The closest casino to this attraction is Gray Wolf Peak Casino.
The closest casino with a hotel to this attraction is Glacier Peaks Hotel & Casino.
Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
This is among the popular historical landmarks in the US and also among the most important according to the reconciliation that has taken place since 1876 clash between the US Army and Sioux and Cheyenne Indians. Some of the top things to see here are a museum, visitor center, the 7th Cavalry Memorial, the Reno-Benteen Battlefield, and the Custer National Cemetery. The site also features the Indians that fought and fell defending their way of life and you will find markers that show the final resting place of numerous warriors scattered among that of the US troops. You must not miss this monument if you are a history lover.
The closest casino to this attraction is Apsaalooke Nights Casino.
The closest casino with a hotel to this attraction is Northern Winz Hotel & Casino.
Flathead Lake
Casino On Flathead Lake Montana
This lake is known as the largest natural lake in the Western US and it comprises of 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shore. This is a hotspot for fishermen and water lovers. Some part of the lake is located on tribal reservation land and you will have to buy a pass to visit this magnificent stretch of lake. If you are lucky to be in the state during the Memorial Day, you will enjoy the annual Bigfork Whitewater Festival. You are also going to find Wildhorse Island in the middle of the lake which is accessible only by boat and it is a great place to spend the afternoon.
The closest casino to this attraction is Gray Wolf Peak Casino.
The closest casino with a hotel to this attraction is KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort.
Museum of the Rockies
This museum is located in Bozeman and it is among the top place to visit in Montana. The museum is a part of the Smithsonian Institution which is popularly known for magnificent displays of dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs which include skeletons and realistic models of various species. The dinosaur collection in the museum is considered to be the largest in the US. The highlights of the park are the Tyrannosaurus skull, T-Rex thighbone with soft tissue remains, T-Rex skeleton on display at the entrance of the museum. You should also make sure you do not miss displays dedicated to native peoples of Yellowstone Country, Tinsley House, and pioneer and western art exhibits.
The closest casino to this attraction is Apsaalooke Nights Casino.
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center
This center is a top destination to visit while in Montana. It was opened as a sanctuary for animals that are comfortable around humans or were orphaned and it offers tourists close up interaction with them. This center is a family-friendly destination and it offers tourist the chance to see bears and wolves in their natural habitat while you also get an insight into their history, behavior, and population decline. Some of the best things to do here are to watch as the bears forage for food, play with each other, and also the chance to hear the haunting howls of the wolf packs.
The closest casino to this attraction is Apsaalooke Nights Casino.
Ringing Rocks
The ringing rocks can be found just outside of Butte. These magnificent rock formations do chime melodically when it is tapped with a mallet or similar instrument. You should make sure you do not miss these fascinating formations as they can be found only in a few places in the world. The rock formations are about 2000 years old and there are varieties of theories about the reason why the rocks ring but there is no scientific proof. You will also be surprised to find out that if you remove one of the boulders, the formation will not ring anymore.
The closest casino to this attraction is Gray Wolf Peak Casino.
Kwataqnuk Resort
The closest casino with a hotel to this attraction is KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort.
How many casinos are in Montana?
Flathead Lake Weather
Kwataqnuk Resort & Casino Polson
There are currently 9 casinos located in Montana. • Apsaalooke Nights Casino • Charging Horse Casino • Fort Belknap Casino • Glacier Peaks Casino • Gray Wolf Peak Casino • KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort • Northern Winz Hotel & Casino • Northern Winz II • Silver Wolf Casino