Preparations for the grand opening of a new casino near Chico, California, are in the final stages. The 42,000-square-foot venue is expected to open in February 2024.
The Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria will run the casino as a temporary venue. Plans for a larger, permanent facility for the new California tribal casino are in the works.
A new casino means more local jobs and money for the local community. But how many will this new casino add to Butte County?
New Mechoopda casino on a hiring spree
With the grand opening only a few months away, the Mechoopda Tribe’s new casino is holding job fairs to fill several open positions at the upcoming gaming establishment. Much of the workforce is in place. However, there are more positions to fill ahead of opening day.
The casino is still looking to hire about 50 to 100 more people. In total, the casino is bringing up to 300 new jobs to the area.
According to the casino, positions are available in facilities, finance, food and beverage, human resources, marketing, security and slots. In addition, full-time benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as paid time off. Employees must be at least 21 years old and able to work weekends and holidays.
Approved for a Class III gaming license, the casino will have about 500 slot machines, 10 gaming tables and three restaurants. It’ll also feature a food court, bar and a player’s club. The temporary facility will have fewer games than the permanent location.
This new casino could bring millions of dollars in revenue to the area
Even though it’s a temporary facility, the Mechoopda Tribe is putting $80 million into constructing this 42,000-square-foot casino. But will it be worth it at the end of the day?
Coyote Valley Casino in Redwood Valley is one of the smallest casinos operating in California with 10,000 square feet of gaming space. It reportedly brings in $28.4 million in revenue annually. Therefore, the Mechoopda Tribe could potentially make $113.6 million per year with a similar revenue per square foot.
There are two tribal casinos currently operating in Butte County. In other words, this is the tribe’s competition.
One of the more popular ones is the Gold Country Casino in Oroville. It is a 240,000-square-foot casino with 60,000-square-foot gaming space. Meanwhile, the 100,000-square-foot Feather Falls Casino, also in Oroville, has over 11,000 square feet of gaming space.
There is a population of around 208,000 people in Butte County. These are the people you need to spend money at your casino. California tribal casinos are not required to report their revenue. However, according to the American Gaming Association, the Golden State’s 85 casinos generate around $8.41 billion annually.