Kootenai River Inn and Casino · Bonners Ferry

About Kootenai River Inn and Casino

Kootenai River Inn and Casino is a tribal gaming inn at 7169 Plaza Street in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, owned and operated by the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. The property opened in 1986 — one of the earliest tribal gaming operations in Idaho — and runs 400 electronic gaming machines including Bingo, Electronic Blackjack, and slot machines on a 24/7 schedule. A full-service riverside inn with a hotel, spa, indoor pool, fitness center, jacuzzi, restaurant, banquet space, self-parking, and valet is integrated with the gaming floor. The Kootenai Winners Club loyalty program earns points through gaming. The minimum gambling age is 18, and gaming is regulated by the Idaho State Lottery and Idaho Gaming Commission under the Kootenai Tribe’s Class III gaming compact. Phone: 800/346-5668 (888-875-8259); website: kootenairiverinn.com.

Bonners Ferry is the county seat of Boundary County in the far-northern Idaho panhandle, approximately 80 miles north of Coeur d’Alene via US-95, 30 miles south of the Canadian border at Eastport, and roughly 100 miles north of Spokane, Washington. The Plaza Street address sits directly on the Kootenai River, which flows through Bonners Ferry before crossing into British Columbia. The property is both a gaming facility and a practical lodging anchor for far-northern Idaho — visitors to the Selkirk Mountains, Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, and the boundary waters region use the inn as a base. The 1986 opening date makes Kootenai River Inn one of the longest-running tribal gaming operations in Idaho, predating the passage of IGRA in 1988.

Idaho’s Indian Gaming Compact authorizes Class III gaming but specifically excludes live-dealer table games — Electronic Blackjack and other electronic table-game formats substitute for dealer-staffed pits throughout the state. There is no live poker room at Kootenai River Inn. For the far-northern Idaho gaming market, the property functions more as a destination inn where gaming is a convenience than as a destination casino.

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Kootenai River Inn and Casino

Bonners Ferry, Idaho

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Kootenai River Inn and Casino in Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Gaming Floor

Kootenai River Inn and Casino runs approximately 400 electronic gaming machines across Bingo, Electronic Blackjack, and slot machines under Idaho’s tribal compact. Like every Idaho tribal casino, live-dealer table games are not authorized — Electronic Blackjack runs via certified terminal rather than a dealer-staffed pit. No live poker room operates at this property.

At 400 machines, the gaming floor is the second-largest in Idaho after Coeur d’Alene Casino’s 1,600-machine floor. The floor is supplemented by regular Bingo hall sessions. For gaming travelers in the far-northern Idaho corridor, Kootenai River Inn is the primary tribal gaming destination between Coeur d’Alene (80 miles south) and the Canadian border (30 miles north).

Inn, Spa, and Amenities

Kootenai River Inn and Casino’s amenity stack includes a hotel, spa, indoor pool, fitness center, jacuzzi, restaurant, banquet space, self-parking, and valet. The Plaza Street address sits on the Kootenai River — rooms have river views, and the inn’s setting provides direct access to Kootenai River recreational activities. The property is the primary full-service lodging in Boundary County and serves as a practical base for visitors to the Selkirk Mountains, Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, and the Moyie River and Priest Lake wilderness areas.

The banquet and meeting space make the property workable for small events, conferences, and weddings. Detected amenities also include a nightclub and meeting spaces. Most weekend visitors combine the casino stop with outdoor recreation — the far-northern Idaho panhandle’s hiking, hunting, fishing, and scenic driving draws are the primary reasons visitors are in the area.

Kootenai Winners Club Loyalty Program

Kootenai River Inn and Casino operates the Kootenai Winners Club loyalty program. Members earn points through slot machine and gaming activity, redeemable for casino and resort benefits. Promotions and events are posted at kootenairiverinn.com and on the Kootenai Casino Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

Tribal Context

Kootenai River Inn and Casino is owned by the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, a federally recognized tribe with reservation lands in Bonners Ferry, Boundary County, Idaho. The Kootenai (also spelled Kutenai) are a people speaking the Kutenai language — an isolate with no confirmed relationship to any other language family — with traditional territory spanning northern Idaho, northwestern Montana, and southern British Columbia, Canada. The Kootenai River is a central geographic and cultural landmark of the tribe’s homeland. The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho received federal recognition separately from the Kootenai people of Canada and Montana.

Gaming at Kootenai River Inn and Casino operates under the Kootenai Tribe’s Class III gaming compact with the State of Idaho, authorized by IGRA 1988. The tribe’s 1986 casino opening predates IGRA — it was one of the first organized tribal gaming operations in Idaho. Gaming revenue supports tribal government services, healthcare, and community programs.

Location

Kootenai River Inn and Casino is at 7169 Plaza Street in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. US-95 north from Coeur d’Alene (approximately 80 miles) or north from Sandpoint (approximately 30 miles) provides the standard approach. The Canadian border at Eastport is approximately 30 miles north via US-95. Spokane International (GEG) is approximately 100 miles south for the closest commercial airport. Hotel, self-parking, and valet are on site.

★ Editor note

Kootenai Tribe's far-northern Idaho inn since 1986 — riverside hotel, spa, pool, and 400 slots near the Canadian border

Kootenai River Inn and Casino is the definition of a destination inn rather than a destination casino: the spa, indoor pool, fitness center, jacuzzi, and riverfront hotel position the property as a resort for far-northern Idaho visitors, with the 400-machine gaming floor as a complement. The 1986 opening predates IGRA — it's one of the oldest continuously operating tribal gaming facilities in Idaho. No live-dealer table games or poker room (Idaho compact restriction statewide). For gaming scale, Coeur d'Alene Casino is 80 miles south with 1,600 machines and a live poker room. Confirm hotel rates and availability at kootenairiverinn.com.

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Priya Sharma

Responsible Gaming Editor