Wilton Rancheria casino gets the greenlight

fornia Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into that allows the Wilton Rancheria Miwok Tribe to build a $500m casino in Elk Grove, near Sacramento.

Bill AB1606 ratifies the tribal compact between the Wilton Rancheria and the State of California which gives the tribe permission to build a casino resort on a 36 acre site in Elk Grove just near Highway 99.

The tribal development would see a 608,756 square foot casino facility which includes a 12-story 302-room hotel, pool, spa, convention centre, six restaurants and bars, and an 110,260-square-foot gaming floor.

Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, who introduced the bill, welcomed the governors’ actions saying: “For the tribe, the compact marks a big step toward providing the level of independence and support its more than 750 members deserve.

“I thank the governor for signing the ratification bill and applaud my colleagues in both the Assembly and the Senate for their vote in favour of the compact. The Wilton Rancheria project is vital to the future prosperity of Elk Grove and will create thousands of good-paying jobs for the entire Sacramento region.”

Wilton Rancheria’s tribal status was terminated in 1958, and the Tribe was finally restored, without land, in 2009, after a long-fought campaign by tribal elders.

Tribal Chairman Raymond C. Hitchcock added: “We look forward to continuing our work with the community of Elk Grove and the greater Sacramento region to create jobs, a great destination resort and to help our tribe achieve self-sufficiency."

According to state estimates, the casino project will create 1,600 construction jobs and another 1,750 full-time jobs. As part of the compact, the Wilton Rancheria also agreed to invest more than $180m over the next 20 years to improve traffic, invest in schools and increase public safety.