Indian Gaming > San Diego County turning into 'Casino County'

January 30, 2006

San Diego County turning into 'Casino County'

When all is said and done, San Diego County will be home to 13 tribal casinos, more than any other county in California.

The first casino opened five years ago this month on the Rincon Reservation. Within eight months in 2001, the county had eight casinos, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Four more casinos are on the way, the paper reports. And tribes with existing casinos are expanding their facilities and adding more amenities, including hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The growth has made Indian gaming a big enterprise in the county. Tribes with casinos employ more than 12,700 people and their payrolls exceed $350 million a year, the paper said.

The tribes also spend millions of dollars a month on products, mostly purchased from local businesses. "I'm surprised at how fast the success has come," Rincon Chairman John Currier told the paper. "Look at where we were and where we are today."

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Tribes gain power from prosperity (The San Diego Union-Tribune 1/30)