After weeks of offering no comments to reports of a Sacramento area casino, California’s Enterprise Rancheria has announced it will partner with Hard Rock to build a $400 million casino hotel in Yuba County.
Tribal Chairwoman Glenda Nelson said in a statement: “The Enterprise Rancheria is thrilled and honored to work with Hard Rock International, one of the world’s most recognized brands. The Florida-headquartered Hard Rock Cafe Inc. said that the Sacramento area was ‘a great fit for the brand.’ ”
Preliminary site work has begun on property near the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland and the tribe is looking at opening in a little more than a year. Moody’s Investor Service reports that the casino will be named Hard Rock Sacramento.
The new property could put competitive pressure on the existing Thunder Valley Casino Resort, owned by the United Auburn Indian Community, which is 20 miles from where the Hard Rock will be located. Similarly, it could press on the Cache Creek Casino Resort.
Yuba County Supervisor Gary Bradford, whose district includes the new casino, says he hopes it will “help spearhead other things in the area. … Hopefully, this will be just the start of future projects.” The tribe has agreed to pay the county about $5 million annually.
