California | Casino Stalker

Blog: What to know about Prop 48 and off-reservation gaming

Friday, October 17, 2014

Artist's rendering of the proposed North Fork Rancheria casino. Image from North Fork Casino Environmental Impact Statement

With Proposition 48, voters in California will decide whether to approve an off-reservation casino for the for the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians:

In 2000, Proposition 1A was approved by California voters, which allowed Indian tribes to construct casinos with slot machines, lottery games and card games on their reservation after getting approval from the governor, legislature and the federal government.
However, Proposition 1A did not address the issue of off-reservation casinos in California. Governor Jerry Brown is the first governor to approve the building of casinos outside of reservation land, which has caused significant backlash among Californians.
In 2013, lawmakers passed bill AB277 allowing the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to build an off-reservation casino in central California. The Wiyot Tribe would collect 2.5 to 3.5 percent of the revenue generated by the casino for the next 20 years. The location of the proposed casino was changed a number of times by both tribes until they settled on a location just west of State Highway 99 in Madera County.
The casino would hold around 2,000 slot machines and the Wiyot Tribe would earn an average of $6 million annually in exchange for not building a casino near the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Get the Story:
Proposition 48: 7 Things You Should Know Before Going To The Polls (Neon Tommy 10/15)

Some Opinions:
Editorial: Off the reservations (The Hesperia Star 10/17)
Editorial: IJ's stands on Nov. 4 state propositions (The Marin Independent Journal 10/16)

California Court of Appeal Decision:
Picayune Rancheria v. Brown (September 24, 2014)

Bureau of Indian Affairs Documents:
Press Release | Fact Sheet: North Fork Rancheria Decision | Section 20 Determination: North Fork Rancheria