Acorn Ridge Casino | Opens Spring 2026

Future Sacramento-Area Casino

Nation | Tribe: Ione Band of Miwoks

ACORN RIDGE CASINO

17674 Village Drive
Plymouth, California 95669

Acorn Ridge Casino will be the newest Sacramento-area casino when it opens in Spring 2026. The 60,000 square-foot, boutique casino will be located in Plymouth, Amador County, California about an hour's drive southeast of Sacramento. The casino will feature 349 slot machines, 10 table games, a restaurant and bar, a grab-and-go, and an outdoor entertainment venue.

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Acorn Ridge Casino

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians are building an Indian gaming casino, named Acorn Ridge Casino, in Amador County along Highway 49 in Plymouth, California. The location is about a mile from the city's Main Street.

The Plymouth casino will be a single-story with 349 slot machines and 10 table games. There will be one cafe, a grab-and-go, and a bar. An outdoor entertainment venue will have 372 seats.

Construction began with a groundbreaking celebration on October 24, 2024. The casino is expected to open in the Spring of 2026.

The Acorn Ridge Casino will be the third casino in Amador County. The other two are Harrah's Northern California Casino in Ione and Jackson Rancheria Casino in Jackson.

News Headlines

Sacramento-Area: Acorn Ridge Casino Receives Construction Financing November 18, 2024 - The Ione Band of Miwok Indians has secured a loan to build the Acorn Ridge Casino, a boutique casino planned in Amador County ... Read more Acorn Ridge Casino breaks ground near Sacramento October 25, 2024 - The Ione Band of Miwoks held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for their Acorn Ridge Casino, a future boutique casino located 30 miles southeast of ... Read more Sacramento-area casino project clears legal challenges April 17, 2024 - Construction of a tribal casino by the Ione Band of Miwoks has been delayed for years by legal challenges from an anti-casino advocacy group. The litigation ended Monday when ... Read more Ione Band of Miwok Indians signs developer for Plymouth casino project October 10, 2022 - The Ione Band of Miwok Indians announced Thursday that Warner Gaming will partner with the tribe to develop a new casino in Plymouth, Amador County, California. ... Read more Ione Band casino receives final state approval, compact August 8, 2020 - California Gov. Newsom signed a gaming compact with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians this week giving the tribe its final approval to build a new casino 30 miles southeast of Sacramento ... Read more New Sacramento-area Indian casino land approved by Fed April 6, 2020 - Last week the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs officially notified the Ione Band of Miwok Indians of approval by the U.S. Interior Department to transfer 220 acres of tribal land into federal trust. ... Read more More Headlines ...

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Features of Acorn Ridge Casino

The latest information regarding the features of the Acorn Ridge Casino was published by the City of Plymouth in a city document in January 2024.

Gaming

Restaurants

Entertainment

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Hotel

History of Acorn Ridge Casino

The Ione Band of Miwoks announced plans to build a casino in 2006 and submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Interior for review and approval.

On May 25, 2012 the U.S. Department of Interior approved the application. It authorized the tribe to build a casino on a 228-acre parcel of land near Plymouth in Amador County.

Original Plan (2009)

The original plans for the Acorn Ridge Casino were published in Febrauary 2009 by the federal government in the document titled Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Court Battles

Amador County On June 29, 2012 Amador County filed a new lawsuit against the federal government in hopes of stopping the casino.

A federal judge in October 2015 rejected the lawsuit in favor of the tribe.

An activist group, No Casino in Plymouth, filed several lawsuits to stop construction of the casino. Each was unsuccessful. The last case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected it in October 2018.

Another anti-casino lawsuit filed by the No Casino in Plymouth advocacy group was rejected by the U.S. Ninth Circuit of Appeals in July 2023. An appeal was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2024.

Federal Approval (April 2020)

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians were notified in April 2020 by the U.S. Department of Interior that the tribes' plan for building a casino in Plymouth had final approval and 220 acres of tribal-owned land would be transferred into federal trust creating a sovereign reservation. See details

State Approval (August 2020)

Gov. Gavin Newsom granted the final state approval by signing a tribal-state gaming compact on Aug. 3, 2020. The compact authorizes the Inone Band of Miwok Indians to operate up to 1,200 slot machines, any card or table game legalized in California, and off-track betting on horse racing. See details

News Articles

Sacramento-Area: Acorn Ridge Casino Receives Construction Financing

November 18, 2024

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians has secured a $110 million loan to finance the construction of the Acorn Ridge Casino, a boutique casino planned for Plymouth in Amador County, California. The loan is a delayed draw term loan (DDTL) with an option for the tribe to convert the outstanding principal at the end of the loan term into a long-term lease of 25 to 45 years. The lender is Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. (GLPI), a real estate trust invested in the gaming industry.

"The Tribe is pleased to have found a partner in GLPI who placed their trust in the Tribe, supporting our efforts toward self-determination and self-sufficiency through the financing of the construction of Acorn Ridge Casino, a Tribal enterprise two decades in the making. We are proud to be part of this innovative financing structure and hope that our work with GLPI to successfully bring this transaction to a close provides new long-term financing opportunities for tribes across the nation."

- Sara Dutschke, Ione Tribal Chairperson

The National Indian Gaming Commission supports the loan contract and issued a declination letter. The letter confirms the contract is not a management contract, it does not require NIGC approval, and it does not violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

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Acorn Ridge Casino breaks ground near Sacramento

October 25, 2024

The Ione Band of Miwoks held a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for their Acorn Ridge Casino, a future boutique casino located 30 miles southeast of Sacramento in Plymouth, CA. The event was attended by about 275 people.

Acorn Ridge Casino will be a 60,000 square-foot casino with 349 slot machines, 10 table games, a restaurant, grab-and-go, and a bar. A gaming compact signed with Gov. Newsome allows the casino to expand to 1,200 slot machines.

The groundbreaking follows a long, 18-year struggle by the tribe to gain federal and state approvals while fighting years of legal challenges in the courts.

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Sacramento-area casino project clears legal challenges

April 17, 2024

Construction of a tribal casino by the Ione Band of Miwoks has been delayed for years by legal challenges from an anti-casino advocacy group. The last of the litigation ended Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a Ninth Circuit ruling that affirmed the tribe's legal right to build a casino in Plymouth, California.

The Supreme Court's decision ends 17 years of legal fights to stop the tribe from building the casino. The Ione Band of Miwoks announced plans to build the casino in 2006, and submitted an application for approval from the U.S. Department of Interior. The application process took 13 years for final approval. The land for the casino site was transferred into Federal Trust on March 2020 giving the tribe legal sovereignty over the land and to right to build and operate a casino on it.

In 2020 the State of California and the Ione Band of Miwok Indians signed a gaming compact granting Class III gaming rights to the tribe.

The tribe is now working with the City of Plymouth to finalize plans for construction. A study document is published on the City of Plymouth website with information and environmental details of the Ione Plymouth Casino Project.

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Ione Band of Miwok Indians signs developer for Plymouth casino project

October 10, 2022

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians announced Thursday that Warner Gaming will partner with the tribe to develop a new casino in Plymouth, California. The location is 30 miles southeast of Sacramento in Amador County. Warner Gaming is a Las Vegas company, which specializes in the development and management of casino, hotels and other hospitality properties.

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians are a federally recognized tribe with approved plans to build an Indian gaming casino complex in Plymouth that will include a hotel and conference center.

A press release Thursday stated:

"This is an exciting time for our Tribe and the new development agreement with Warner Gaming is a critical step in establishing long-term economic self-sufficiency and prosperity for our people. Revenue generated from our new facility will be used to support social and educational programs, housing, healthcare and the preservation of cultural resources; things we have struggled to maintain and provide for generations."

- Sara Dutschke, Tribal Chairperson

Warner Gaming has developed and/or manages other tribal casinos, including Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino in Mescalero, NM, Casino Apache in Mescalero, NM, and Spokane Tribe Casino in Airway Heights, WA.

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Ione Band casino receives final state approval, compact

August 8, 2020

California Gov. Newsom signed a gaming compact with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians this week giving the tribe the state's final approval to build a new casino 30 miles southeast of Sacramento in Plymouth on Highway 49.

The new casino will be the third tribal casino in Amador County. It will be located 15 miles northwest of Jackson Rancheria Casino and 16 miles north of Harrah's Northern California Casino.

Final Federal Approval
The tribe received federal approval for the casino in April 2020. As the final step in the federal process, the U.S. Department of Interior agreed to transfer 220 acres of tribal-owned land into federal trust for the purpose of building a casino.

Final State Approval
The tribe received state approval for the casino on Aug. 3, 2020 when Gov. Newsom signed a gaming compact between the tribe and the state. The compact grants the tribe the rights to operate up to 1,200 slot machines, any or all card and table games that are legal in the state, and off-track horse race wagering.

Tribal chairperson Sara Dutschke released this statement following Gov. Newsom's signing of the compact:

"On behalf of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, I would like to thank Governor Newsom and his staff for their hard work and dedication as we worked to achieve this important milestone, particularly in light of the state's many responsibilities addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, This is an exciting time for our Tribe, and we look forward to continuing to foster a strong and prosperous government-to-government relationship with the State of California and Amador County."

"This milestone is a critical step in establishing long-term economic self-sufficiency and prosperity for our people. This opportunity will not only improve the quality of life for our Tribe, but also allow us to bring hundreds of competitive career opportunities and economic viability to our community. Revenue generated will be used to support our Tribe's social and educational programs, housing, healthcare and the preservation of cultural resources; things we have struggled to maintain and provide our members for generations."

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New Sacramento-area Indian casino land approved by Fed

April 6, 2020

Last week the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs officially notified the Ione Band of Miwok Indians of approval by the U.S. Interior Department to transfer 220 acres of tribal land into federal trust. The transfer will grant tribal sovereignty to the land and federal authorization for an Indian gaming casino.

"For the Ione Band this isn't just about the development of a gaming operation, this is really about restoring the land base we can use to support our members in the futrure," tribal Chairwoman Sara Dutschke said in a telephone interview. "We've waited a very long time for this."

Since announcing its casino plans back in 2006, the tribe has continually fought court battles and opposition from activists groups to reach this point in the approval process.

When the casino is built, it will be the third Indian casino in Amador County - joining Harrah's Northern California Casino and Jackson Rancheria Casino.

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Ione Band of Miwok Indians seek casino near Plymouth

February 20, 2009

PLYMOUTH, CA - The Ione Band of Miwok Indians hopes to build An Indian casino on 228 acres the tribe bought in Plymouth, just 50 miles from Stockton. It would include 2000 slot machines and 40 gaming tables.

However, their plans may face an uphill battle. A Department of the Interior memorandum issued January 16th by the Bush Administration states the Ione Band of Miwok Indians is not a restored tribe and therefore cannot legally use the land it bought to build a casino.

The memo was written by Department of the Interior Solicitor David L. Bernhardt just 4 days before the inauguration of President Obama. Now Ken Salazar is the new Secretary of the Interior, and he will soon appoint a replacement for Solicitor Bernhardt. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Nedra Darling, confirmed that Bernhardt's memo is valid, but not yet final. It will be reviewed by the new administration.

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Supreme Court ruling stops Amador casino plans

March 28, 2009

PLYMOUTH, CA - The Ione Band of Miwok Indians were dealt a legal defeat to their planned $250 million casino 220 acres in Plymouth by the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court ruled last month that land could not be taken into trust for the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, because the tribe was not federally recognized at that time.

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians had its federal recognition restored in 1994. Its status in 1934 is unclear. The tribe signed a treaty in the late 1800s and "continued contact with the federal government" as evidence of an earlier recognition.

"This is a blow for gaming and non-gaming tribes," Matt Franklin, tribal chairman of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, said Friday. "This is bad for Indian Country. Everyone is scrambling to see how this affects us."

"We have our attorneys looking at the language and looking at different alternatives," he said regarding the impact of the court decision on his tribe.

Franklin said tribes convening under the National Gaming Association plan to ask Congress for legislation to clarify and remedy the court decision. The National Indian Gaming Commission, a regulatory agency, will hear testimony within the next two weeks, he said.

BUENA VISTA CASINO
The court ruling will not to stop another Amador County casino project proposed by the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians. That tribe was established in 1926, according to federal records. The Buena Vista casino will have 24,000 square feet of gambling, 950 slot machines and 20 game tables. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010.

JACKSON RANCHERIA CASINO
Amador County is home to the 130,000-square-foot Jackson Rancheria casino with its 1,500 slot machines. The casino is owned by the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwok Indians. The date of the tribe's federal recognition was not readily available from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

RED HAWK CASINO
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians tribe was recognized in 1914. They own the Red Hawk Casino in El Dorado County featuring a 278,00-square-feet gaming floor, 2,000 slot machines, and 75 gaming tables.

THUNDER VALLEY CASINO
The United Auburn Indian Community was recognized by the federal government in 1910. It owns Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln which features a 85,000 square-feet gaming floor, 2,600 slot machines and 98 gambling tables.

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Amador County Casino Suit Dismissed

December 17, 2007

SACRAMENTO - Amador County's lawsuit to stop the lone Band of Miwok Indians from building a $250 million hotel and casino complex was thrown out last Thursday by a U.S. District Judge.

The Miwok plan to build their casino in the town of Plymouth, California, about 15 miles up Highway 49 from the Jackson Rancheria Casino. The small tribe of 535 members has petitioned the US. Department of the Interior to place 228 acres in and around Plymouth into trust for the tribe which is a prerequisite for building their casino.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton issued his order barring the suit as premature by the federal Administrative Procedures Act. The county can sue if the U.S. Department of Interior grants the Ione Band of Miwok Indians' request to take their land into federal trust.

The federal trust decision is a "final agency action," as defined by the Administrative Procedures Act. If the trust is approved, a federal court can review the tribe's plan and the federal process.

In 2006 the Interior Department determined if the land is taken into trust it will qualify as Indian lands on which gambling can be established.

In 2005 the Miwok requested that the land be taken into trust, but their request is still pending.

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News Headlines Continued

02.20.2009 - Ione Band of Miwok Indians seek casino near Plymouth

03.28.2009 - Supreme Court ruling stops Amador casino plans

12.17.2007 - Amador County Casino Suit Dismissed