California | NIGC | Openings & Closings

Chukchansi Tribe won't be able to reopen casino in September

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold, California. Photo from Facebook

The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in California won't be able to open its casino this month as tribal leaders and executives had hoped.

The Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino shut down last October due to a leadership dispute on the reservation. The tribe has been working with local governments, the state and the National Indian Gaming Commission to resolve the matter.

But the NIGC wants to see more stability, The Fresno Bee reported. A spokesperson said the agency will wait until after an election on October 3 before moving forward.

“We are optimistic about upcoming elections and are hopeful the tribe will be able to put their house in order,” spokesperson Michael Odle told the paper. “We can’t predict the outcome of the election, but we are and will continue to closely monitor events on the ground to ensure the tribe is moving in the right direction towards compliance.”

The tribe reached a new memorandum of understanding with Madera County to address the casino's operation and other issues, The Sierra Star reported.

Get the Story:
Feds say Chukchansi Gold won’t reopen in September (The Fresno Bee 9/16)
Supervisors approve Chukchansi draft MOU (The Sierra Star 9/16)