Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino may be reopened by the end of the year after officials for the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians and Madera County supervisors reached a new agreement on Wednesday.
The hotel and casino venue was closed in October 2014 after a tribal fraction raided its gaming office. Things even turned physical and the raid eventually resulted in 15 arrests.
Under the terms of the new deal, the tribe will have to increase police presence at the property in order to be able to provide patrons with the necessary level of security and protection. Tom Wheeler, Supervisor for Madera County, said that county officials wanted to make sure that the gambling venue would offer “plenty of sheriff coverage.”
Over the next six months, the tribe will have to pay for an onsite sheriff’s deputy who will be present at the casino 24/7. Tribal officials will have to pay a little less than $320,000 for this.
Madera County supervisors also said that the tribe will have to buy a fire truck with a longer ladder that will reach even the tallest parts of the casino building. Such a purchase would cost the Chukchansi Indians the amount of $1.5 million.
In other words, the new agreement, which is in fact an addition to the tribe’s existing compact with the state of California, is mainly focused on the security and protection of gambling customers, once they return to the venue.
The new arrangement will now have to be approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission and the state Attorney General. If everything goes as planned, the casino may open doors before the end of the year.
Christian Goode, COO for the hotel and casino complex, said that 1,000 Madera County residents will be able to return to work when it reopens doors for visitors. The executive also explained that all gambling options and almost all food and beverage operations will be available to customers when they return to Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. The casino will feature a total of 1,750 gaming machines.
Mr. Goode added that it is important for the tribe and the gambling venue to be reopened before the Christmas holidays as it is known to be the busiest time of the year and additional revenue would be generated.
The proposed deal is expected to be further negotiated and finalized next week. If this happens, the hotel and casino complex will be relaunched after being closed for more than 14 months.
