California | Compacts | Openings & Closings

Chumash Tribe signs new Class III casino compact in California

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Artist's rendering of a new hotel tower at the Chumash Casino Resort. Image from Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a new Class III gaming compact.

The agreement is the first since the original compact was signed in 1999. It renews the tribe's commitment to pay revenues into the Indian Gaming Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which benefits local communities and tribes without large casinos.

"This is a very exciting and historic day for our tribe," Chairman Vincent Armenta said on Wednesday . "The new compact allows us to continue on our path of economic self-sufficiency. Our economic development initiatives have brought vital services to our tribe, from health care and education to cultural and environmental programs."

"This is a good compact not just for the tribe, but for the entire community," added Armenta. "The prosperous tribal economy has and will continue to be a boon to the local economy."

The new deal comes as the tribe continues work on a $160 million expansion of the Chumash Casino Resort. The project includes a 12-story hotel with 215 rooms, 000 additional square-feet of gaming space, a 20,000 square-foot pool deck, new food and beverage venues and a parking garage with 584 spaces.

A copy of the compact can be found on the governor's website.