What Can You Tell Us about Harrah's northern California casino?

What can you tell us about the new Harrah's Northern California Casino and Resort?

Harrah's Buena Vista is still in the construction process. The $168 million casino is located on the Buena Vista Rancheria, 32 miles southeast of Sacramento, on 67 acres of reservation land where the Buena Vista Band of Me-Wuk Indians has lived since 1817. It features a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced exterior, including a prominent waterfall. The Buena Vista will be the 17th Harrah's-branded property in the company's history.

When completed, it will have 950 slot machines, 20 table games, one fine-dining restaurant, and three fast-food outlets. Caesars Entertainment and the Me-Wuk broke ground last April; the last completion date we saw was the fourth quarter of 2019.

The casino didn't come easily. Amador County opposed in it court, impelled by a non-binding referendum that showed 84% of nearby residents opposed gaming development. The million-dollar court case was eventually handed down in the Me-Wuk’s favor when the District of Columbia threw out Amador County's suit, ruling that a 1987 decision by the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the Me-Wuk had precedence. The tribe's subsequent compact with California gives the state an annual $8 million cut of gambling revenues.

Harrah's Buena Vista won't, however, be without competition. Already, Amador County is host to Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort, which has 1,700 slots and 38 tables.

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Jackie Jan-15-2019

Jackson

I've played at Jackson, mostly Poker, they have a good poker room and used to play Let it Ride there also.  The Amador County crowd fought against Jackson Rancheria back when it was first proposed as well but Jackson residents drove Amador off. I could never determine if hatred of possible crime increase due to gambling drove their obsession or just hatred of Native Americans, possibly both.

Kevin Lewis Jan-15-2019

No chance

The place will be an utter failure. There's nearby competition from not only Jackson Rancheria but also Live Oak or Black Oak or something near Sonora. If you're in Sacramento, you can get to Trash Creek west of town in about the same amount of time, a huge Native casino in the middle of nowhere. Finally, there's Blunder Valley, a Stations casino directly off I-80 20 miles east of Sacto. And then there's Dead Hawk between Sacto and Placerville! The local casino market is already saturated. People will go there out of novelty, but when the thrill wears off, almost no one will bother. Why should they, with half a dozen more convenient options nearby (not to mention Reno/Tahoe)?

That Don Guy Jan-15-2019

No "card roulette" or "video roulette," however

The most recent compact between the state and Buena Vista Rancheria bans "operation of the game known as roulette, whether or not played with or on a mechanical, electro-mechanical, electrical, or video device, or cards, or any combination of such devices."

Question of the Day - 15 January 2019

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