A massive new tribal casino — big enough to rival the largest casinos in Las Vegas — is scheduled to open its doors next month in the Central Valley.
The Hard Rock Casino Tejon, which is set to open Nov. 13, will be the first full-scale casino in Kern County. The property is owned by the Tejon Indian Tribe and will be managed by Hard Rock International.
The $600-million development is on the tribe’s lands in Mettler, which is just south of Bakersfield and at the base of the mountain pass known as the Grapevine, near the 5 Freeway.
The gaming space of about 150,000 square feet rivals such Las Vegas mega casinos as the MGM Grand, the Bellagio, Aria and Mandalay Bay. The space will house more than 2,000 slot machines; live table games of blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and three-card poker; and rooms for exclusive games.
Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and chief executive at Seminole Gaming, said in a news release that the casino would “set a new standard for entertainment in the region.”
The Tejon tribe struggled for generations to gain federal recognition after the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs left it off its list of tribes that had formal government status. In 2011, the tribe won recognition under the Obama administration. Soon after, it began talks with casino operators.
Octavio Escobedo III, chairman of the Tejon tribe, celebrated the opening of the casino as a win for the tribe and touted the economic growth it has brought to the area, noting that the project generated thousands of construction jobs and would support 1,000 permanent positions upon opening.
“The opening of Hard Rock Casino Tejon is not only a celebration of our Tribe’s heritage and resilience but also a bold step forward in creating opportunity and prosperity for future generations,” Escobedo said in the news release.
In addition to gaming space, the facility will have a tribal government center, a medical facility and housing for tribe members.
The announced opening comes as Hard Rock battles to open a casino in New York — competing with bids from other gambling giants such as MGM Resorts International.
It also comes amid a legal fight over another California casino.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office has accused the federal government of failing to consult local officials when it greenlighted a project to build a sprawling gambling complex on land adjacent to the town of Windsor in Sonoma County.
Other local tribes, including the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, oppose the project, which was halted by a judge last month.
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