Wilton Rancheria Casino Opening Date
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — A long-vacant property in Elk Grove that could become a casino has a new owner. Crews began demolishing the so-called “ghost mall” near Grant Line Road and Highway 99 in. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes the potential environmental effects of Wilton Rancheria’s (Tribe’s) application for a fee-to-trust transfer and casino project to be located in Sacramento County, CA.
- Wilton chairman predicts casino opening in 2020. January 4, 2019. Wilton Rancheria Chairman Raymond Hitchcock said last week his tribe expects to finish construction of the Wilton Resort Casino by the end of 2020. A final determination of the opening date will be announced later based on progress of the project.
- Wilton Rancheria bought the land in 2016. Department of Interior approved its gambling agreement with the state in January 2019. Elk Grove city officials were eager to turn the page Monday.
When many of us think of casinos, our minds immediately turn to Tribal gaming operations. Indian gaming has been integral in the funding of many important public services on tribal lands, and the vast majority of gaming revues go to fund local government and community development. However, Tribal gaming is highly regulated and opening a casino on Indian land can require years of cutting through regulatory red tape.
Elk Grove Casino Underway in Sacramento
The National Indian Gaming Commission approved a contract between the Wilton Rancheria Tribe of Miwok people of Elk Grove, which is just outside of Sacramento, and a private casino developer for the construction of a $500 million casino resort. The project, which is proposed to be located at an unfinished portion of the Elk Grove mall site, has been inching towards completion despite the rigorous regulatory requirements.
The major construction project is performing necessary ground tests and safety inspections, and construction is expected to commence this year. And while projects of this scale and scope always take time, the Wilton Rancheria’s tribal gaming development has been moving forward at a respectable pace.
Wilton Rancheria Demonstrates Commitment to Tribal Gaming
The fact that the Wilton Rancheria tribe has gotten so far in the construction of its proposed casino is a notable accomplishment. The tribe was able to meet California’s conditions for conducing gaming in addition to having access to eligible lands as determined by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Once this has been secured, the tribe must secure approval from the National Indian Gaming Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior. This entire process can take years and cost millions of dollars, and it’s proven insurmountable to innumerable proposed Indian gaming projects.
In January, the Department of the Interior approved the Wilton Rancheria’s tribal gaming compact with California’s state government, which gives the tribe the legal authority to operate a casino-resort on its Elk Grove lands. The project defeated legal challenges brought by anti-gambling advocates in 2017, and despite the bureaucratic red tape and disruptive litigation, it appears to be moving forward quite smoothly.
With the construction of the casino, the Wilton Rancheria will join the 240 federally-recognized tribes that offer regulated gaming in 460 casinos across the country. However, Indian gaming is not a cut-and-dried issue – far from it. Less than half of all federally recognized tribes have sought to establish gaming establishments on their lands, and there are sincere ideological concerns about bringing casinos to Native American communities. In Elk Grove, citizens were able to voice these concerns through litigation and public participation processes included in licensing procedures, and by no means did they fall on deaf ears. Regardless, however, the Wilton Rancheria leadership appears committed to moving forward with the casino as a way to improve government services and quality of life for its people.
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For years, the Wilton Rancheria has discussed plans to open a major new casino-resort in northern California. The tribe is now working to gain approval from various state government bodies. This week, the tribe received a guarantee of support by the Cosumnes Community Services District.
It’s great news for the tribe, which currently plans to open this new venue in 2021. Today, we’re going to look at what exactly this venue will have to offer. We’ll also look at the current state of California’s casino industry.
Let’s get into it!
California’s Casino Industry Remains Shut Down
All around the United States, land-based casinos are completely closed down. It’s all due to the new coronavirus, which has now infected more than 420,000 individuals around the country. It’s been devastating for casino companies, some of which are losing an incredible amount of money every single day.
Of course, some parts of the country are being affected by the casino shutdowns more than others. In places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, this has been incredibly troublesome. A huge number of businesses are now shut down in these areas and tourism has slowed down considerably.
California is under stay-at-home orders. Essentially, residents in the state are unable to leave their homes for anything non-essential. Obviously, this means casinos in the state are unable to open their doors to the general public.
It’s still unclear when these casinos will be able to open again. Despite that fact, several tribes are currently working on plans to open new gambling venues in the state. This includes the Wilton Rancheria.
Wilton Rancheria Casino Opening Dates
As we’ve already mentioned, this tribe plans to open a brand new casino-resort next year. This week, they’ve taken a major step forward to get this done.
CSD Agrees to Support Wilton Rancheria With Medical Services
It’s not easy to open a new casino-resort in California. Native American tribes need to gain approval and support from various government bodies. This week, the Cosumnes Community Services District has agreed to provide the Wilton Rancheria with medical services for its proposed casino-resort.
Under the current agreement, the tribe will provide the CSD with several things including a new fire truck, a one-time payment of $805,500 and an annual fee of $887,500. The agreement also makes the Cosumnes Fire Department the exclusive agency to provide fire services for the casino-resort.
Raymond “Chuckie” Hitchcock, a chairman at the Wilton Rancheria, spoke about this new agreement to the media this week.
“We’re excited for our future and our generational partnership between the tribe and the (CSD),” he said. “You are the lifeline between the safety of our future employees and patrons, (you are) the protectors of our gaming facility in the case of any structural emergency.”
CSD Director Rod Brewer also praised the new partnership this week.
“It took a lot of years and a lot of conversations in just making sure that the stars are aligned to make sure we have something that is mutually beneficial,” Brewer said.
This is a huge move for this tribal group. With this now settled, the tribe can begin looking at construction plans. Of course, we’ll need to want and see how long it takes for the state’s land-based casino industry to get back up and running.
US Land-Based Casino Revenue Continues to Drop
Wilton Rancheria Casino Opening Date
As everyone knows, this is a tough time for the land-based casino industry. Casinos across the country are shut down and no one can say when they’ll open back up. For some casino operators, this will have permanent effects.
Revenue from this industry continues to drop. In New Jersey, for example, casino companies are losing millions of dollars every month. The same is happening in Las Vegas.
California casinos are hurting, as well. All of the Native American gambling venues in the state are currently shut down. There are some analysts that believe things will remain this way for at least a few months.
Despite that fact, the Wilton Rancheria is focused on opening its new casino-resort. This tribe is banking on this whole situation being cleared up by next year. With support from the CSD, this casino is on track to open in 2021.
Major casino companies continue to ask the government for financial aid. Hope is that the stimulus package provides these companies with some relief. Another package is likely to be approved in the coming months.
Stay tuned for more US casino news over the next few weeks!