Sycuan Band drops plans for casino expansion

Friday, December 5, 2008  

Citing the sour economy, the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians has dropped its gaming expansion plans.

The tribe signed a Class III gaming compact to add 3,000 slot machines to the Sycuan Resort and open a second facility. But the tribe said the economic climate made it "impossible" to proceed.

“We are doing everything we can to avoid having to lay off our valued employees and are continuing to restructure operations to mitigate the impacts of an extremely challenging economic environment,” Chairman Daniel Tucker said in a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). “In these circumstances, even a modest expansion would be impossible.”

The tribe planned to share a portion of the revenues from expanded gaming with the state.

Get the Story:
Sycuan walks away from gambling compact (The San Diego Union-Tribune 12/5)