Feds Approve New Location for Win-River Casino

Win-River Casino is set to relocate to newly entrusted land. (Image: courtesy of Win-River Casino)

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has formally transferred property along Interstate 5 in Redding, California to the Redding Rancheria, allowing the tribe to move forward with its plans to move the Win-River Casino to a new location.

The decision, made on July 1, will allow the Redding Rancheria to transfer the property into federal trust status and use it for gaming purposes.

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Rancheria Ready to Move Forward After Long Process

The tribe initially announced its plans to relocate the Win-River Casino from its current Redding location to an area known as Strawberry Fields along the Sacramento River in 2016. However, that required the land to be moved into the trust of the federal government, which will exempt the land from local development rules and taxes.

The Rancheria released a statement praising the DOI decision and emphasizing the detailed review that went into the move.

“This monumental decision concludes the federal agency review process that included nearly two decades of comprehensive expert analysis into the environmental, economic, and social impacts of our proposed casino relocation project,” the Rancheria said in its statement.

While the DOI move opens the door for the Rancheria to move their casino, the tribe still has some obstacles standing in its way.

Local Opponents Criticize ‘Sham’ Deal Between Tribe, County

A group called Speak Up! Shasta has opposed a casino in Strawberry Fields, and says that it will continue to work against the proposal even after the DOI decision.

“Thousands of Shasta County residents oppose this harmful project and the Redding Rancheria wants local taxpayers to foot the bill through their sham ‘deal’ with the Board of Supervisors,” Speak Up! Shasta spokesperson Robb Korinke said in a statement released Tuesday, according to the Redding Record Searchlight. “Let me be clear: We are going nowhere – and neither is that casino.”

The deal Korinke references is a 30-year financial agreement between the Shasta County Board of Supervisors and the Rancheria tribe. In February, the California Land Stewardship Council sued the board of supervisors over its approval of that agreement, saying it was illegal.

The Rancheria alluded to these challenges in its statement, but largely dismissed them.

“Challenges are, unfortunately, common in Indian Country, and we are confident that the DOI’s decision making process for our casino relocation project is thorough, sound, and in compliance with federal law,” the statement read. 

“The Tribe has waited for more than two decades for the restoration of these aboriginal homelands to trust and will monitor developments over the coming weeks to take any necessary action to preserve our interests in the decision.”

The current Win-River Resort & Casino is located along California State Route 273 between Redding and Anderson. It comprises an 84-room hotel and a 60,000-square foot casino. The proposed facility in Strawberry Fields would include a nearly 70,000-square foot casino, along with a 250-room hotel and a 132,000-square foot retail center.