The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians reached a settlement with the National Indian Gaming Commission that could lead to the reopening of the tribe's casino in northern California.
The NIGC issued a notice of violation and a temporary closure order to the tribe after rival factions clashed at the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino on October 9, 2014. The agreement allows the reopening of the facility under certain conditions.
"This is an important and very good day for our tribe," Chairwoman Claudia Gonzales said in a press release. "Our new tribal council promised our members we would act swiftly to reopen the casino, get our employees back to work and start to rebuild our tribe's financial and cultural strength, and this agreement is an important step towards those goals."
According to the NIGC, the tribe agreed to a fine of $19.845 million for violating the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act but only $500,000 will be paid as long as the settlement conditions are met. The tribe admitted that it didn't submit timely audits for fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The tribe reached an agreement with Madera County in hopes of reopening the casino but the state of California hasn't said whether it will accept the reopening. A federal judge issued an injunction against the tribe at the request of the state.
Get the Story:
Chukchansi Casino to reopen soon
(CBS Fresno 12/21)
Reopening of Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino nears
(The Central Valley Business Times 12/21)
Chukchansi Tribal Council Says Shuttered Casino Will Open Soon, Agreement Reached
(KVPR 12/21)
Chukchansi: Gaming commission approval paves way for reopening
(The Fresno Business Journal 12/21)
Tribal agreement paves way for Chukchansi casino reopening
(KFSN 12/21)
Chukchansi casino reaches next step to reopening
(The Sierra Star 12/22)
Chukchansi tribe gets federal OK to reopen Coarsegold casino
(The Fresno Bee 12/22)
Relevant Documents:
Settlement Agreement SA-15-01 |
NOV-14-03 / TCO-14-02 |
TCO-14-01 |
TCO-14-01
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