Ridgecrest Casino Project

Nation | Tribe: Timbisha Shoshone Tribe

NEW   NEW CASINO PROJECT
On July 1, 2024 the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe received federal approval to build a new casino in Inyokern, CA. For information, see Inyokern Casino Project.

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RIDGECREST CASINO PROJECT CANCELED
The Ridgecrest casino project was ended in early 2022 when the land purchase for this off-reservation casino was not completed before the federal deadline.

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Ridgecrest Casino Project

The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, which has a reservation in Death Valley National Park, will build a 20,000 sq-ft casino near the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. The proposed site is on east side of China Lake Blvd. between Desert Valleys Credit Union and the Main Gate of the Naval Station.

Ridgecrest Casino Features

The casino will be 20,000-sq-ft with a 10,000-sq-ft gaming floor. The casino will have 349 slot machines, 6 table games, an entertainment lounge, restaurant and bar. A later construction phase will add a hotel and theater venue.

Ridgecrest Casino Status

The Environmental Impact Study was completed in April 2017 and federal approval of the casino was announced June 3, 2019. A land dispute with the City of Ridgecrest over the location was resolved in January 2020, and the U.S. Department of Interior is transferring the land into federal trust.

The timeframe to open the casino is expected to be 2022-2023.

News Headlines

Ridgecrest Casino Project Moves Forward January 31, 2020 - The City and Ridgecrest announced a settlement to sell property on China Lake Blvd to the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe for $5.5M. The tribe plans to build a casino on that site and 2-3 years later add a hotel. ... Read more Ridgecrest Indian Casino Update
01.16.2018 - Comments from the public have been collected and now are being considered over the proposed $29 million Ridgecrest casino. The casino will be owned by the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe ... Read more Headlines continued...

PROJECT PLAN

PHASE I   Total cost $29 million
Building	20,000 sq ft
Casino	10,000 sq ft
- Slots	349
- Tables	6
Entertainment Lounge & Bar	3,000 sq ft
Meeting/Conference Rooms (2)	2,000 sq ft
Restaurant & Buffet	130 seats
Cocktail Bar	20 seats
Players Club & Retail Shop	500 sq ft
PHASE II   Total cost $16.8 million
Hotel & Pool	80 rooms
Theatre Venue	5,000 seats
Steak House	80 seats

Casino Website: www.ridgecrestcasino.com

News Articles

Ridgecrest Casino Project Moves Forward

January 31, 2020

A settlement to a legal dispute between the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and the City and Ridgecrest was announced Jan. 24. The City agreed to sell property located on China Lake Boulevard to the Tribe for $5,500,000, and the Tribe agreed to pay higher mitigation fees per the Municipal Services Agreement.

The land will be the building site for a tribal casino. A hotel may be added in a later phase.

Peggy Breeden, the Mayor of Ridgecrest, is pleased with the agreement. "The City is looking forward to putting this dispute behind us and working with the Tribe for the successful realization of the project. The modifications to the MSA will benefit the City and ensure that we can provide the necessary municipal services."

White Dove Kennedy, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Chairwoman said, "The Tribe appreciates the willingness of the City of Ridgecrest to renegotiate our agreements so that we can move forward together. We look forward to a positive government to government relationship with the City, and to bringing an exciting new entertainment option to the residents of Ridgecrest."

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Ridgecrest Indian Casino Update

January 16, 2018

Comments from the public have been collected and now are being considered over the proposed $29 million Ridgecrest casino. The casino will be owned by the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.

A meeting was held on Thursday on behalf of the tribe for the city and public to give remarks on the Tribal Environmental Impact Report that was released.

Comments and concerns were documented; however none were addressed. The purpose of the meeting was to gather information for the tribe to use in consideration for their casino plans.

The tribe 's reservation is located in Death Valley National Park. This is 130 miles from the location of the proposed casino. This has caused controversy since the land is so far away. Another issue has been the casino project itself. Residents stressed concern for gaming addiction at the public meeting.

The deadline to submit comments is at the end of this month.

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Update on proposed Ridgecrest casino

April 07, 2017

On Wednesday the Ridgecrest City Council held a meeting where the proposed casino was the main focus. An updated on the project was presented by Timbisha Shoshone tribal chair George Gholson.

Groundbreaking for the casino is scheduled to take place next year in April. An exact date was not given.

The environmental impact study will be completed and the results will be presented to the public on April 13, 2017 at 6p.m. It will be located the City Council chambers. A notice of the report will be released today. The public will be allowed to comment on it until May 06.

The public will be allowed the attend the workshop. Environmental consultants for the tribe will be available to answer questions.

A goal for the tribe to move forward with the casino project is to be able to come to an agreement with the city and the county over the impacts by August and September.

The first phase of the casino will consist of building the facility. When completed it will be 35,000 to 50,000 square feet. In addition to the gaming floor, it provide space for other amenities. This includes a players club, bar and lounge, buffet and coffee shop, retail store, and parking.

The amount of machines for the casino were not announced. That number will be determined by the architectural design.

During the public workshop to be held on April 13, design plans will be revealed. They will showcase the exterior of the casino.

The second phase of the project will be to build a hotel, convention center, and spa. The hotel will offer 100 guest rooms and a pool. The convention center will be 52,000 square feet.

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News Headlines Continued

04.07.2017 Update on proposed Ridgecrest casino

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