Boyd Gaming and California’s Wilton Rancheria Tribe quietly opened the $500 million Sky River Casino in the Elk Grove suburb of Sacramento, California on August 16, a month ahead of schedule.
Boyd, which built and will operate the casino for the tribe through a seven-year management contract, made no official announcement, opening the casino without fanfare.
“We completed construction early and completed the prep work for the opening. We felt comfortable and didn’t see any reason to delay the opening,” Boyd spokesman David Strow told the Nevada Independent.
The casino features 100,000 square feet of gaming space that includes 2,000 slot machines, 80 table games and 17 food and beverage venues.
One of the suppliers benefiting from the opening of Sky River was Everi Holdings, which provided 300 out of the total 2,000 slot games, or 15 percent of the floor.
B Riley Securities gaming analyst David Bain said in a report on meetings with Everi executives that the firm is “incrementally bullish on shares” after the big sale, noting that Everi is the fastest-growing slot supplier post-pandemic.
“We view new casinos as a strong indicator of forward-market-share gains/losses, as openings offer casino managers a ‘blank slate’ versus a slower rotation of market share in existing casinos,” Bain wrote. “(Everi) management noted continued strength in mechanical reel games and additional, recent strength in the video segment, a larger category with faster replacements than reels.”
A formal grand opening celebration for Sky River will take place next month.
“Thanks to its location just south of Sacramento, this property is well-positioned to capture a significant share of the Sacramento and Bay Area markets,” Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith said, according to the Independent.
Sky River includes a vacant 64-acre site owned by Boyd Gaming next to the casino, which sits on 36 acres along Highway 99. The future development of the larger parcel has not been decided.
