Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage Announces New Expansion
Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage April 9 announced via press release that it has completed a 12,000-square-foot expansion of its casino floor, which will add “hundreds of additional slot machines” to the property. A ribbon-cutting event is scheduled for April 21 starting at 11 a.m.
“With hundreds more slot machines now offered at Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage, guests have access to the best, most exciting slots available,” Rick Rothenberger, vice president of slots at Agua Caliente Casinos, said in the release. “With more than 3,300 slots across our three casino properties, we offer various games ranging from popular classics to thrilling new game titles. As a leader in Coachella Valley, Agua Caliente Casinos are the only place where you will find several of these new slot titles.”
Mashpee Wampanoag Welcome Center in Taunton Now with 50 Slots
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the city of Taunton, Mass. in late March signed a new memorandum of agreement regarding a casino project the tribe plans to build there. A tribal welcome center has already been set up at the site and now features 50 slots, per the Taunton Daily Gazette. The new MOA specifies that the tribe will pay the city 2.05% percent of monthly net slot revenue, in addition to $2.4 million in back payments from the original agreement.
According to the MOA, the tribe plans to secure financing for the permanent casino project before the mid-way point of the year. That lender would also pay the back payments owed to the city, per the Gazette.
Montana Tribal Casino Breaks Ground
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and S&K Gaming April 9 broke ground on their new 400 Horses Casino project in Polson, Mont. According to KPAX, the 35,000-square-foot casino will be built out in phases, with a soft opening set for June 2026.
“We’re breaking ground today, we’re moving forward on this project, we’re going to be under actual construction starting tomorrow, so it’s a great day, it’s a beautiful day,” S&K Gaming CEO Bryon told KPAX.
Stevens Elected for 12th Term as IGA Chairman
Ernie Stevens Jr. has been re-elected by acclamation to serve his 12th term as chairman of the Indian Gaming Association. Running unopposed, he received unanimous support from tribal leadership. Elections were held on the final day of the membership meeting during the 2025 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego, California.
During his tenure, Indian gaming revenues have soared from $11 billion in 2000 to over $49.1 billion in 2024, solidifying tribal government gaming as the largest segment of the gaming industry in the United States.
Stevens served as an elected councilman for the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin from 1993 to 1999, and was the first vice president of the Congress of American Indians. He also holds board positions with the Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, the Nike N7 Foundation Board, the Executive Board of the Center for Native American Youth, and the Native American Advisory Board for the Boys and Girls Club of America.
