Gov. Jerry Brown and the Tule River Indian Tribe signed a 20-year renewal of their gaming compact last Friday. The compact allows for the uninterrupted operation of the Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, Tulare County, California.
The Eagle Mountain Casino has been in operation since 1996. The tribal casino holds 1,200 slot machines, 7 table games, 3 poker tables, several restaurants, and a concert center. The gaming complex is located on the Tule River Reservation, a 55,356 reservation.
20-Year Gaming Compact
The Tule River Reservation is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains between Fresno and Bakersfield. The tribe’s gaming compact was set to expire in 2020. The revised compact is said to be in line with previous tribal-state compacts.
A few changes were made. One change is an alteration of the local mitigation process for traffic disturbance and infrastructure costs. The concessions made assure that local communities are paid a fair price in the next gaming compact. Another is the way gaming revenues are allocated to the special distribution fund.
Neil Peyron Thanks Devon Mathis
Neil Peyron, the Tule River Tribal Council Chairman, thanked California Assemblyman Devon Mathis for his support during the negotiation process. Devon Mathis is a resident of Porterville and the Republican representative for the 26th District, which includes the portion of the Central Valley where the reservation is located.
Chairman Peyron suggested the gaming compact secured the tribe’s future for the next 20 years.
After the compact was signed, Peyron said, “The Eagle Mountain Casino is essential to the tribe’s viability. With revenues from the casino, the tribe has invested in improving the reservation and its members by establishing a fire department, police department, medical and dental facility, elementary school, justice center, student study center, and Veterans center.”
California Legislature Must Approve Compact
The California Senate and General Assembly still need to approve the gaming compact, but there are few indications that it will be controversial. The tribe employs 350 workers directly, while the Eagle Mountain Casino creates a total of 500 jobs. Neil Peyron added that the City of Porterville and the County of Tulare would benefit from the new compact.
The Porterville City Council sent a letter to the US Bureau of Indians Affairs in October 2016 supporting the current gaming compact. The tribe plans to move the casino to a 40-acre strip of land owned by Tule River Indian Tribe.
The plan calls for the Tule River Indians to build a new $150 million casino complex, on that plot of land. That complex will include a 250-room hotel and a much-expanded 20,000 square-foot convention center.
$150 Million Casino Expansion
Before that development plan comes to fruition, the Bureau of Indians Affairs will have to approve the project. So will Gov. Jerry Brown. Given the California governor’s negotiations of the compact, it is assumed Jerry Brown will approve the Tule River Indian Gaming compact.
