An appeals court victory by Northern California’s Wilton Rancheria will allow it to move forward with its Sky River Casino in Elk Grove.
The casino will have up to 2,000 slot machines and more than 80 gaming tables.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed arguments by the casino watchdog group Stand Up for California that the Bureau of Indian Affairs had incorrectly designated the tribe as indigenous.
This allows Sky River Casino to go forward in land that was once called “Ghost Mall” because a mall had been started but abandoned by the Howard Hughes Corp. Funded by Boyd Gaming the tribe purchased the land and will build the casino that Boyd will manage for the tribe.
The tribe broke ground March 9 and is planning for an opening in the second half of next year.
