Las Vegas-based Station Casinos, the company behind Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch and Durango, has opened its first casino outside Nevada. North Fork Mono Casino in Madera, California, opened its doors Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, a day earlier than planned, according to CDC Gaming Reports. The project cost about $750 million all-in.
Key Takeaways
- North Fork Mono Casino opened Oct. 27 in Madera, in California’s Central Valley, one day ahead of schedule.
- The casino belongs to the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians; Station Casinos, a Red Rock Resorts subsidiary, manages it.
- It has more than 2,400 slot machines, 40 table games, eight dining venues and four bars in 264,000 square feet.
- More than 1,500 local jobs were created, according to Gaming Intelligence.
- It is the only casino Station manages outside Nevada.
What’s inside
CDC Gaming describes the slot and table selection as one of the largest in the region. The high-limit room alone has 138 slots, 10 table games, a private bar and its own cashier. The flagship restaurant, Manzanita Steakhouse, serves farm-to-table food with a wine list of more than 250 labels, live piano and house cocktails. Sports fans get Clubhouse 99, a bar with 56 big-screen TVs and more than 20 beers on tap.
Reports differ a little on the price tag: CDC Gaming and the Las Vegas Review-Journal put it at about $750 million, while one figure in Gaming Intelligence’s report says $725 million.
Who runs it
The tribe owns and developed the casino, and Station Casinos runs it under a management deal. That is a familiar model in California, where tribal nations operate casinos and often bring in experienced Nevada operators to manage them. For Station, which built its name on Las Vegas locals casinos, it’s the first time it is running a property outside its home state.
Shares of parent company Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR) closed 1.61% higher at $49.20 on Thursday, Gaming Intelligence reported. This is news only, not investment advice.
What it means for locals and visitors
Nothing changes at Station’s Las Vegas properties. Your rewards points and local promotions at Red Rock, Green Valley Ranch, Durango, Boulder Station and the rest work the same as before. Bigger picture, the opening shows a Las Vegas locals-casino company growing beyond the valley, and it gives Central California players a large new option closer to home, which could mean fewer weekend drives to Las Vegas for some of them.
Sources
- CDC Gaming Reports: North Fork Mono Casino opens a day earlier than expected
- Gaming Intelligence: Station Casinos opens North Fork Mono Casino in California
- Las Vegas Review-Journal: Las Vegas-based Station Casinos opens new $750M casino
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