Photo by Karin Elton The newly-built Prairie Tap House & Cafe and Sunset Lounge & Patio offers the full Prairie’s Edge casino experience with none of the smoky atmosphere. The first floor has gaming machines and the second floor has a tap house with 24 draft beer choices, a cafe, lounge and patio — all non-smoking.

GRANITE FALLS — It’s about choice. If people want to smoke and use the gaming area at Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort, they can, as always. If they prefer non-smoking, but still want all the amenities of the smoking section, guests now have that option.

Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort in Granite Falls will celebrate its latest expansion — the grand opening June 24-28 of a non-smoking gaming area, the Prairie Tap House & Cafe and Sunset Lounge & Patio.

“We’ve had a soft opening since Wednesday,” said Barry Joannides, general manager, Prairie’s Edge Casino Resort.

“People are excited about it,” said Eric Preuss, the marketing director at Prairie’s Edge.

The new gaming area is right next to the existing non-smoking gaming area, but is twice the size and has more machines, two bars — one on each floor of the two-story structure — an 8-feet-by-14-feet video screen and a patio with gas fire pits.

“There is 22,000 feet of additional space,” said Joannides.

Oftentimes, guests using the machines in the old non-smoking gaming area had to go to the smoking section to find their favorite game, said Joannides. Now they will find everything they need — entertainment, food and drinks in a self-contained non-smoking area.

“It has its own HVAC system,” said Preuss, of the heating and air conditioning.

The expansion is “long overdue,” said Joannides, noting that the existing non-smoking area was built in 2003.

On the patio, if the time is right, people can watch the sun set as they sit around the fire pits. There is also a TV out on the patio so people can watch Twins’ games if they like, said Joannides.

Inside, in the Sunset Lounge, the large screen can show one video or four.

“You can watch four football games on it,” said Joannides. When guests aren’t watching football, they might be watching a live band.

“We’ll have a band every other weekend through December,” said Preuss. Other weekends will have a house band or DJ.

The lounge has a bar with 16 taps of regional IPA brew. The decor is different from the rest of the casino, in blues and grays, and the lounge has a modern, industrial look to it.