Wildhorse becomes 1st tribal casino with transformable seating system

Published 8:00 pm Friday, October 23, 2026

MISSION — Wildhorse Resort & Casino is working to provide an uplifting experience in 2027 at its new convention center and concert hall.

Wildhorse announced Oct. 15 its partnership with Gala Systems of Canada as part of a $100 million expansion to install technology that enables flexible auditorium spaces and seating configurations.

Through the Gala Venue’s transformable seating system, Wildhorse’s new multi-purpose event hall will have the ability to configure seating and floor elevations between events to expand its entertainment options. It is one of three venues in the U.S. and the first tribal casino to feature the technology.

“It’s an introduction to the hospitality industry, not just tribal casinos,” Wildhorse CEO Gary E. George said, referring to the Gala Systems technology. “It provides a different venue to have guests be entertained.”

The moveable floor and seating will feature a minimum of seven configurations to accommodate events from banquets to concerts and more. Gala Systems’ Spiralift technology eliminates the need for hydraulics to adjust the configuration of the venue’s 38 rows. The system allows for the venue to change configurations in as little as 15 minutes.

“Everyone can see everything. That’s the big idea behind the structure of it,” George said.

The center of the event hall remains stationary to accommodate federal accessibility standards. All doors to the hall will be locked while the system changes configurations to adhere to safety standards.

Wildhorse’s partnership with Gala Systems is part of a larger expansion on the property, which includes rentable meeting spaces, a new 10-story hotel tower and new dining options.

“Certainly, we consider ourselves a destination type resort,” George said. “In the beginning, we really didn’t know whether the region could support a casino.”

Wildhorse Resort and Casino is approximately a three-hour drive from the nearest metropolitan city, so, George said, the natural course of action was to create a destination hub with a golf course, movie theater, bowling alley and more.

“The idea started back in 1993 that we wanted to become a family resort destination, and one that was affordable,” he said.

Wildhorse expects the expansion with the addition of a multipurpose event hall to bring a 400% annual increase in live entertainment and performance options.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation owns and operates Wildhorse Resort & Casino. George said the benefit of the Wildhorse expansion will reach well beyond the reservation’s boundaries.

“It’s beneficial to Pendleton, to Umatilla County,” George said, “and the opportunity to bring big events here to Eastern Oregon.”

The project is on track for completion in April 2027.