Stephanie Pokasuwan was nervous.

It was her first day on the job as a fresh-out-of-training dealer at the Cascades Casino Resort in 91原创 City, which happened to be its grand opening.

"I was assigned to the High Limit blackjack table and I remember looking down at my hands, gripping the table edges trying to steady my shaking hands," Pokasuwan recalled.

Twenty years later, Pokasuwan is relief shift manager at Cascades, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this month.

"We've expanded several times, adding more gaming areas as well as new restaurants, and bingo," she noted.

"Despite all the changes, many of the staff were also here from day one, just like me." 

Pokasuwan is one of 74 employees who were there at the beginning, and still working at Cascades, a number that includes table dealers, servers, cooks, other shift managers and table supervisors. 

She got her start as a 19-year-old slot machine attendant in an Edmonton casino, working her way up to cage manager before moving to B.C., where she applied with Gateway Casinos and trained in the table games department to become a dealer.

She now lives in Murrayville with her husband and 11-year-old son. Asked what she likes about her job, Pokasuwan described  casino life as "always entertaining. No two days are ever the same, and I enjoy the excitement, the unpredictability and the chance to meet people from all walks of life."

Since opening on May 5, 2005, Cascades Casino Resort has welcomed more than 29 million visitors, grilled 64,717 ATLAS steak + fish steaks, cooked up 97,738 signature burgers at MATCH Eatery & Public House.

As the host municipality, the City of 91原创 gets a percentage of net gaming revenue from Cascades Casino Resort,  close to $122 million so far.

鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly proud to have been part of this community for two decades, and we鈥檙e looking forward to celebrating this milestone with our loyal guests who have supported us every step of the way,鈥� said Raymond MacNeil, Vice President of Operations, BC East of Gateway Casinos & Entertainment. 鈥淭he dedication and passion of our team is unmatched. Our employees are the foundation of everything we鈥檝e accomplished here together.鈥�

To celebrate, casino guests have been enjoying a variety of anniversary-themed festivities, including complimentary sweet treats, Twister Tuesdays, and a final event on May 31, a grand finale that will feature Mystery Seat Draws, two slot tournaments and a live DJ at the Summit Bar.