Artist's rendering of the Wilton Rancheria's resort project in Elk Grove, Caifornia. Image by Wilton Rancheria The Wilton Rancheria has finally learned who is trying to stop the tribe from opening a casino in northern California. According to news reports, Knighted Ventures is financing a referendum that would put a land deal for the project on an upcoming ballot. The firm provides services to non-Indian card clubs that would face competition from the tribe's $400 million casino. "It would be unfortunate and misleading to the citizens of Elk Grove to discover that out-of-town cardrooms are behind the campaign to kill the mall," Chairman Raymond Hitchcock said in a statement to The Sacramento Bee. It's not clear if Knighted Ventures, or the non-Indian card rooms, are behind a lawsuit that also seeks to stop the land deal. Cheryl Schmit of Stand Up for California has refused to say who is funding her case, which was filed in the state court system. The tribe has filed a land-into-trust application for its proposed casino. The project site is located on about 36 acres in Elk Grove. Read More on the Story:
Firm that runs cardroom games is bankrolling Elk Grove casino fight (The Sacramento Bee 12/5)
Elk Grove casino referendum backer is L.A. entrepreneur with casino investments (The Sacramento Business Journal 12/5)
Builders fire back at Elk Grove casino opponents (The Sacramento Bee 12/3) Federal Register Notices:
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 29, 2015)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 4, 2013
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