California | Litigation | Openings & Closings

Another lawsuit seeks to block Jamul Band from $360M casino

Friday, May 29, 2015

Artist's rendering of the Hollywood Casino Jamul. Image from Penn National Gaming

The Jamul Indian Village of California is facing yet another lawsuit over a $360 million casino already under construction on the reservation.

Two Kumeyaay descendants are behind the new case. Walter Rosales and Karen Toggery claim they are beneficial owners of the casino site and they say the tribe was not qualified to organize under the Indian Reorganization Act.

Rosales and Toggery, who are not enrolled in the tribe, believe the casino work is damaging a burial site. But Chairman Raymond Hunter, who is Toggery's brother, said the cemetery has not been harmed. Similar claims were rejected in a different lawsuit that is on appeal in the California court system.

In addition to the tribe, Rosales and Toggery named the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Penn National Gaming and San Diego Gaming Ventures as defendants. Penn National is financing and managing the project -- San Diego Gaming Ventures is a subsidiary.

The tribe broke ground on the Hollywood Casino Jamul in January 2014. The 200,000 square-foot facility will feature over 1,700 slot machines, 50 table games, restaurants, bars, lounges and a 1,900-space parking garage.

The casino is expected to open sometime this year.

Get the Story:
Tribal Brouhaha Over SoCal Casino (Courthouse News Service 5/29)