Timbisha Shoshone Looking to Acquire Land in Inyokern for Casino

The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe has been trying to secure land for a casino for years, to no avail.

Now, after nine years of high hopes and frustrating defeats, the site of a new California casino has been decided on: a 20-acre plot of land in Inyokern.

This is a milestone for both the tribe and the California casino market.

Tribe’s earlier casino plans fell through

After failing to bring a tribal casino to Ridgecrest, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe shifted plans. The Inyokern plot is across the street from the junction of Highway 178 and Moonwind Street.

The intention to acquire this parcel of land was in the Federal Register on July 8. The summary reads:

“The Assistant Secretary — Indian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire in trust 20.03 acres, more or less, of land known as the County Land Parcel in Kern County, California, for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe for gaming and other purposes. This final determination was made on July 1, 2024.”

The site is a good distance – about 130 miles – from the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe’s reservation in Furnace Creek, Death Valley, because the reservation sits in Death Valley National Park, which operates under federal restrictions.

While this is a big step toward the construction of a new casino, it’s not the first time the tribe has reached this stage.

Originally, it had planned to put the casino in Ridgecrest on North China Lake Boulevard, which is close to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. But after a handful of lawsuits, that plan fell through. That process began in 2016 and ended in February 2022 due to the tribe missing a land sale deadline.

Why the deadline was missed was heavily debated in court, but eventually, the lawsuits were given up and the tribe was allowed to purchase the land. Unfortunately, by the time clearance to buy was approved, COVID-19 had taken its toll on the tribe’s ability to complete the sale, and the plans were abandoned.

What’s next for the tribe?

The plot of land is in trust, which means the tribe must fulfill certain obligations to become the sole owner of the title.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, operating on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, currently holds the title in the name of the US. The land won’t pass to the tribe until it has met all the requirements set by the Department of the Interior.

They include finalizing the purchase agreement and coming to terms with the county for law enforcement and other social services.

How far will the new casino be from other casinos and cities?

For gamblers who are looking forward to a new California casino option, the area will be fairly easy to reach.

The site is about 150 miles from Los Angeles International Airport. It’s 100 miles from Bakersfield, and 86 miles from Barstow. For those coming by way of Lancaster, it is 75 miles, or a little over one hour of drive time.

The land is just outside the southeastern border of Sequoia National Forest.

Here are the five nearest casinos to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe’s parcel: