Jerry Brown, Governor of California, recently signed a bill that will let a casino project move forward. The project is backed by Station Casinos, Inc and has been in the works for almost ten years. The signing of the bill will allow actual development activities to finally begin.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $350 million and will be operated by the North Fork Rancheria Mono Indians. The project will be located close to a major California state highway as well as the city of Madera, which is about 25 miles north of the city of Fresno.
The gaming location will occupy some 305 acres, and was approved via a rarely used federal process that allows nontribal land to be taken into trust. The plan, for years, has been opposed by some rival tribes. The North Fork tribe acquired the land after 1988. In 2003, Station Casinos signed an agreement with the North Fork tribe to assist with financing, developing, and managing the project.
The process is not over however as the North Fork plan must still be approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In addition, the management deal offered by Station Casinos will require the National Indian Gaming Commission to approve.
According to Scott Nielson, Station Casinos Chief Development Officer, the company is now able to start with its design process. The plan calls for a new casino, and it thought to include table games, some 2,000 slot machines, and various entertainment as well as restaurant venues. Of the total acreage, the project will occupy an estimated 60 acres.
Nielson is calling for patience, however. He said, “We know from experience that these projects take time to materialize. You have to have patience.” He also commented that the project will be constructed in various phases and its initial construction is not expected to include a hotel.
Mr. Nielson also said that he suspects that the North Fork project may actually be the end of major Indian gaming developments in the state of California that involves nontribal land that has been taken into trust. He went on to say that the company does not have any Indian gaming projects, other than this one, in the works.
Currently, Station Casinos runs the Gun Lake Casino which is located near Grand Rapids, Mich. This is owned by the Gun Lake Tribe of Pottawatomi Indians. It is also constructing the $800 million Graton Resort and Casino which is located close to Santa Rosa, Calif. That particular project, which is for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Tribe, is thought to be ready for opening sometime in November.
According to 2011 numbers, California area Indian casinos (68 in total) earned approximately $7 billion in gaming revenues. This amount represents nearly one quarter of the total for the US in tribal gaming. This is according to Casino City’s Indian Gaming Industry Report.
It has also been announced that Penn National Gaming is planning to build a hotel and casino valued at $360 million. This project is for the San Diego Jamul Indian Village.