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“The wait is over,” said Bay 101 general manager Vincent Shaw. “We are excited to welcome everyone to our new casino.”

Home to the Shooting Star poker tournament, a World Poker Tour event held annually in March, the Bay 101 has been a fixture in San Jose since it opened in 1994.

Though regulars were fond of the older facility, it began to look a bit dated. The new building is expected to take the casino into the 21st century with sleek architecture, a polished interior and fine dining.

Like the former facility, the new Bay 101 will operate around the clock, every day of the year. The new casino is 73,000 square feet and cost $53 million to build, said casino spokesman Rich Alvari.

Designed by Kenneth Rodrigues & Partners, the interior blends bold colors with ample wood and glass aimed at providing a more natural feel that connects people inside the building to the outer environment.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the new Bay 101 is that it’s home to the Province, an upscale Asian-inspired restaurant from the Chris Yeo Group (Straits, Sino, Roots and Rye). The restaurant, designed with feng shui concepts, includes “large glass wall panels centered around a central bar” with a connected exterior dining patio “giving this space a true indoor-outdoor feel,” said Rodrigues.

The new Bay 101 is less than a mile from San Jose’s airport and down the street from Casino M8trix, its chief competitor. Its 49 tables will offer pai gow poker, EZ baccarat, Texas hold’em and blackjack. There are no slots due to state laws regulating cardrooms. (Only Indian casinos are allowed to offer games of chance.)

Among other amenities are cell-phone charging stations, free Wi-Fi, customer deposit boxes and 40 high-definition TV screens.

“We’re confident our patrons will enjoy the casino’s contemporary design, high-tech amenities and easily accessible parking options,” Shaw said. “Our goal is to ensure a first-class experience for our guests.”

At press time, the schedule of entertainment and giveaways hadn’t been set, but Bay 101 officials said the true star of the day will be the new building.