The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and California Governor Gavin Newsom have agreed to an updated tribal state gaming compact that will allow Graton Resort and Casino to double its number of slot machines.
This will increase the number of slots the tribe is allowed to have from 3,000 to 6,000.
The compact does not go into effect until the Department of the Interior gives its seal of approval.
Yogonet reports that this agreement comes in advance of the tribe’s planned expansion that it announced in 2022. The 200-page document replaces the previous compact signed in 2012.
The casino resort in Rohnert Park is the largest in Northern California and dominates the Bay Area market. The expansion would give it the second largest slot floor in the Golden State, second only to the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Southern California. It would also add a five-story, 221-room hotel tower to its existing 200-room hotel, convention center and ballroom that it added in 2016,
Graton Chairman Greg Sarris said in a statement: “We’re happy to improve our compact with the State of California and continue to provide needed community funds for the City of Rohnert Park, Sonoma County and our state.”
The tribe pays millions of dollars each year to both the City of Rohnert Park and Sonoma County. Even so, the negotiations were largely between the state and tribe. The new agreement guarantees 2 percent of net winnings to each entity.
Rohnert Park Assistant City Manager Don Schwartz told Yogonet that the tribe has provided “considerable funding” for local schools and services. “They have been very good neighbors. And we have every reason to look forward to that continuing.”
The tribe opened the resort 10 years ago on its 254-acre reservation. It employs more than 2,000 workers and is one of Sonoma County’s largest employers.
