Poker Writer
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed away some of the state’s share of future tribal casino revenue in a new deal with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. The agreement is a 25-year deal that will allow the tribe to operate up to two casinos in San Bernardino County.
San Bernardino County is the largest county in the U.S. by area and may now have two new tribal casinos within its borders, competing with the three existing tribal casinos there.
The new deal is substantial because it no longer requires the Fort Mojave Tribe to share revenue with the state, as it did under the 2004 agreement with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The tribe will be able to operate casinos with up to 1,200 slot machines and other Las Vegas-style games.
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Tribal Casino Deal an Unpopular Move For Newsom
Local cardroom interests panned the deal. The California Gaming Association (CGA) in particular does not like it.
CGA President Kyle Kirkland said that California is bleeding billions in annual revenue with this deal. He talked about how much worse of a deal his card club in Fresno gets in comparison:
My card room pays $1 million annually to the city of Fresno. What was sold to the California public is very different from what is happening today. It is a scam. [California] is actually giving up billions annually, In the short run, in any other state they would be giving up to 10% to 50% of slot revenue.
Likely New Casino Sites for Fort Mojave Tribe
Currently, the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe operates the Avi Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, close to the California border. It has done so since 1995. The tribe also operates Spirit Mountain Casino in Arizona. The tribe’s reservation spans across the tri-state area of California, Nevada, and Arizona.
The new casinos would be the tribe’s first venture into California, which has one of the most robust selections of tribal gaming properties in the country.
One of the likely new casino sites sits near Needles, close to the tri-state border near Laughlin and Lake Havasu. It is just a 35-minute drive from Laughlin to Needles, putting the new casino very close to the current Avi Resort and Casino.
The agreement is not a done deal yet. It still requires ratification by the state legislature and approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Image credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr (license)
