- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Gaming
The Mechoopda Indian Tribe announced it will suspend operations at its Oroville, Calif. casino on Jan. 31, less than a year after its opening.
The Mechoopda Economic Gaming Authority Board reached the decision after months of deliberation and efforts to address operational challenges, according to a tribal statement. Despite recent progress in some areas, external factors made continued operations unsustainable, the tribe said.
“Suspending operations at the casino is a heart-wrenching decision that affects not only our Tribe but also our valued employees, customers, and the surrounding community,” Dennis Ramirez, tribal chairman, said in a statement.
While the casino will close at the end of this month, Ramirez said the tribe will continue to work toward its future reopening. Around 64 jobs will disappear with the casino’s closure. The tribe said it will provide resources and guidance to support employees during the transition, and updates about future plans will be shared on the casino’s website and social media platforms.
The casino, which opened Feb. 15, 2024, operates in a distinctive 42,000-square foot sprung structure — an engineered tent structure with a curved white exterior and stone-accented entrance. Built at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional casino construction, the facility houses 480 slot machines, a restaurant, a cafe, and a bar.
The closure marks a setback for a project that was two decades in the making. The tribe received its gaming compact with the state in 2018 after more than a decade of legal battles with Butte County officials. The casino competed with two other tribal gaming operations in the county: Feather Falls Casino, owned by the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians, and Gold Country Casino & Hotel, owned by the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians.
The Mechoopda tribe, whose ancestral village was located near Little Butte Creek, has 560 tribal members and is governed by an elected tribal council, according to the tribe’s website.
Speaking on background, a representative from the National Indian Gaming Commission said such casino closures are “uncommon.” A communications representative for the Mechoopda tribe declined to comment further when contacted by Tribal Business News.
Chez Oxendine provided reporting on this story.
