Poker Writer
California Governor 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 USA 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 previous deal from 2004 with Governor Schwarzenegger. The tribe will be able to operate casinos with up to 1,200 slot machines and other Las Vegas-style games.
Unpopular Move For Newsom
The decision to exempt the Fort Mojave Tribe from sharing revenue with the state is largely unpopular. The California Gaming Association (CGA) in particular does not like it.
The president of the CGA 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
Currently, the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe operates the Avi Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, close to the California border, and 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.
One of the likely new casino sites is near Needles, Calif., 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 Ari 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. Depertment of the Interior.
