Thousands of people flocked to the "soft" opening of the new casino owned by Pojoaque Pueblo in northern New Mexico.
Some people found the $245 million Buffalo Thunder
Resort too overwhelming. "It's so big, it's obscene. This belongs in Las Vegas or something," Jose Baca told The Santa Fe New Mexican.
Others didn't think the facility, with a 395-room Hilton-branded hotel, 66,000 square feet of meeting space, 13,000 square feet of shops and a 36-hole golf course, wasn't that big. "People were saying it's better than Vegas," said John Salazar, who came all the way from Denver. "But I got here, and it wasn't as much as I expected."
The tribe's first casino operates just a few miles away. The new facility is closer to Santa Fe.
Get the Story:Buffalo Thunder Casino: Soft launch, big draw (The Santa Fe New Mexican 8/13)
New casino, resort opens north of Santa Fe (KOB 8/12)