The 0 million Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego opened October 10, an event that either created no traffic problems, or created all sorts of traffic jams, depending on which news report you read. The semi-desert community is located about 20 miles from San Diego.
Certainly there were concerns about traffic among local residents, many of who had vehemently opposed the casino using every avenue open to them—but especially in court. One of the strongest opponents was Supervisor Dianne Jacob, a resident of Jamul, who had accused Caltrans (the state’s department of transportation) of “failing the public by allowing the casino to open without all the badly needed road improvements in place.”
Up until a few days before the opening Jacob was predicting disaster. “I advise motorists to not gamble with their lives and stay away,” she told the City News Service.
According to the Times of San Diego: “Concerns about persistent and widespread traffic tie-ups around a newly opened East County casino appeared to be unfounded Tuesday on its second day of operations.”
Yet compare that to Fox 5 San Diego, which reported: “A casino and entertainment complex that drew the ire of neighbors in the East County opened to the public Monday and, combined with road construction, led to major traffic congestion on state Route 94.”
Or the Union-Tribune, which reported, “The grand opening of a casino in Jamul created major traffic congestion on state Route 94 Monday, leading to several reports of people driving recklessly.”
So, despite reports of heavy traffic during the opening on Monday, things were settled down by Tuesday.
The Jamul Village has said that it plans to spend $25 million to the county and state for road improvements. Chairman Erica Pinto said, “We are proud to fund roadway improvements and other essential services to make our community safer. These efforts are meaningful and important for our tribe and our neighbors.”
The casino, which, like an iceberg, has most of its activity happening below the level where the public can see, is situated on a very small reservation. The five-level parking lot is almost entirely underground. The 200,000 square foot facility has 1,700 slot machines, 43 gaming tables and seven eateries, including Tony Gwynn’s Sports Pub.
The casino was built and will be managed for the next seven years by Penn National Gaming and will receive 30 percent of the casino’s revenue. The management agreement was only approved in August of this year by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The casino operates under a 25-year compact signed by Governor Jerry Brown on August 4.
Penn National CEO Timothy Wilmott greeted the opening: “We are grateful to the Jamul Indian Village for giving us the opportunity to build this spectacular regional entertainment destination and are honored to serve as the manager of their facility and to help them realize their goal of becoming economically self-sufficient. Hollywood Casino, which created more than 1,200 construction jobs and approximately 1,000 permanent jobs, is the closest gaming facility to downtown San Diego and we look forward to providing our guests an unparalleled entertainment, gaming and dining experience.”
The casino’s status was kept up in the air for many years by the different court challenges that the tribe had to battle, including one that reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Some legal challenges are still in play, kept alive by Jamul Action Committee, the Jamul Community Church and to a lesser degree the casino watchdog group, Stand Up California.
Traffic difficulties may be in the card on a permanent basis for local schools, according to Don Hohimer, the local high school principal, who issued this warning to students and parents: “The Hollywood Casino in Jamul opened today. This has the potential to dramatically affect driving conditions on Campo Rd/Hwy 94,” he said. “It will be particularly difficult in the evenings when we have special events, for example, this Friday’s football game and the homecoming dance Saturday night. Please be extra careful, cautious, and defensive as we all adjust to this new safety concern.”
