With decades of legal disputes and governmental red tape now in the past, the Ione Band of Miwok Indians has finally begun construction on its long-awaited casino project.
Acorn Ridge Casino in Amador County is expected to open its doors in less than a year.
The casino marks a significant milestone in the Miwok’s long-suffering effort to establish a gaming facility on their tribal land.
Warner Gaming will run the casino
Acorn Ridge will add to the more than 60 tribal casinos currently operating in the Golden State. California online casinos remain illegal, though Californians can play at more than a dozen sweepstakes casinos online.
Located near Plymouth, approximately 35 miles southeast of Sacramento, the $110 million Acorn Ridge development will span 60,000 square feet on 228 acres. It will offer 349 slot machines, 10 table games, a full-service restaurant and bar, and an outdoor venue for entertainment.
The tribe secured financing through Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust Gaming and Leisure Properties in late 2024. The casino project is forecasted to create approximately 250 permanent jobs. The tribe has partnered with Warner Gaming LLC to develop, manage, and operate the facility.
The 750-member Miwok tribe sees the project as both an economic development tool and a means to reassert its sovereignty through self-sustaining enterprise, said Tribal Chairperson Sara Dutschke in 2022.
“This acquisition is a critical step in establishing economic self-sufficiency and prosperity for our people. It’s about building a future for our community and preserving our culture.”
A long battle for tribe
The road to groundbreaking has been long and contentious. For decades, the tribe worked to obtain federal acknowledgment, which was finally granted in 1994.
However, it did not secure land eligible for gaming until 2012, when the US Department of the Interior approved the trust acquisition. Local opposition soon followed, including lawsuits from Amador County, which challenged the land-into-trust decision and the tribe’s historical ties to the area.
Those legal challenges persisted for years, ultimately reaching the U.S. District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeal by the tribe’s opposition failed, and the US Supreme Court declined to hear the case, effectively clearing the path for the casino project.
The extended timeline reflects the complex nature of tribal gaming approvals, which require coordination between tribal, state, and federal authorities.
Acorn Ridge Casino will be the latest addition to the growing Northern California tribal gaming market in the Sacramento metropolitan area. Nearby casinos in Amador County include Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort and Harrah’s Northern California Casino.
With construction now underway, the anticipated opening is in spring 2026.
