North Fork Mono Casino has opened in Madera, California, with more than 2,400 slot machines and 40 table games while a federal court considers a challenge to the property’s gaming operations.
The casino opened Tuesday off Highway 99 after years of development by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. Station Casinos LLC, a subsidiary of Red Rock Resorts, manages the property in partnership with the tribe.
More than 1,000 employees have been hired.
The property features a modern interior with floor-to-ceiling windows across the gaming floor.
“When you come in, it’s elegant,” Mark Ward, General Manager of North Fork Mono Casino, said. “It’s also just a place where you feel like you’re at home.”
As reported by KMPH Fox 26, a separate High Limit Room includes 138 slots, 10 table games, a private bar and a dedicated cashier.
Casino Opens With Eight Dining Venues
The property also launched with eight dining venues and four bars.
Manzanita Steakhouse serves as the flagship restaurant, offering prime steaks and seafood alongside more than 250 local and international wine labels selected by a master sommelier.
The restaurant also features live piano music and cocktails prepared by an in-house mixologist.
“Our focus is to also make those luxury options affordable because we want anyone and everyone to feel welcome here,” Connor Jessop, a general manager, said.
Several bars take their names from landmarks in the North Fork area, including Whiskey Falls, Rock Creek and Willow Creek.
Clubhouse 99 serves as the casino’s sports bar and includes 56 television screens, along with craft beer, imported beer and California brews.
The food court adds Kopiah Coffee, pizza, burgers and Asian food. Fuego Mexican Kitchen, the second location of a Fresno taqueria, is also part of the lineup.
The total project cost is approximately $750 million.
Further Development Is Planned
The current casino is part of a broader development plan.
Future phases include a hotel, parking garage, entertainment centre and conference centre, according to tribal treasurer Maryann McGovran.
McGovran said casino revenue will support social services for North Fork citizens and also benefit the City and County of Madera under existing agreements.
The opening follows decades of efforts by the tribe to establish the property.
McGovran described the milestone as “a beautiful time.”
Ward said delays gave the project additional time to incorporate community feedback. The final property includes more slot machines than originally planned.
Federal Lawsuit Remains Unresolved
The casino opened while the North Fork Rancheria and the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians await a ruling from US District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff.
Picayune, which operates Chukchansi Gold Casino and Resort off Highway 41, is seeking a preliminary order to halt gaming at the North Fork property while its federal lawsuit continues.
Sherriff heard arguments on October 9 but had not issued a ruling in the supplied material.
The lawsuit also names Station Casinos and the National Indian Gaming Commission.
The dispute concerns federal rules governing gaming on Native American land acquired after 1988. Such projects require approval from the Department of the Interior and concurrence from the state governor.
The federal government took the North Fork property into trust for gaming in 2012, with then-Governor Jerry Brown concurring.
Picayune argues that California voters’ rejection of the casino’s state gaming compact in 2014 effectively nullified that concurrence. A state court ruling last year supported part of that position.
North Fork argues that its gaming eligibility had already been established federally before the 2014 vote.
Station Casinos has described Picayune’s claims as “recycling previously rejected arguments in a last-ditch effort.”
The current case is Picayune’s third federal challenge to the project since 2012. Its previous two federal lawsuits were unsuccessful.
North Fork Mono Casino remains open while the court considers the latest request to suspend gaming.