Pechanga gaming compact amendment allows 1,000 additional slot machines
TEMECULA, Calif. Sept. 23, 2026 - The Pechanga Band of Indians will be authorized to operate an additional 1,000 gaming machines under a compact amendment ratified by California lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom signed SB 1235 on Sept. 14, ratifying the first amendment to Pechanga's 2016 tribal-state gaming compact. The tribe and state executed the amendment Aug. 5.
$3,000 Casino Welcome Bonus!The agreement authorizes Pechanga to add 1,000 gaming machines and extends its compact by approximately 20 years in exchange for the tribe agreeing not to challenge the agreement's revenue terms during its duration.
Pechanga's 2016 compact authorized up to 5,500 slot machines at no more than two gaming facilities. A legislative analysis prepared in August said Pechanga Resort Casino had approximately 200,000 square feet of gaming space, 5,500 slot machines and 152 table games.
The new agreement also increases Pechanga's financial commitments to local communities.
Under the 2016 compact, the tribe provides $21 million annually to a Local Community Credit Fund supporting services and projects including law enforcement, fire protection, public transit, education and tourism.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, Pechanga will provide an additional $3 million to the fund. The additional contribution increases by $2 million annually until total annual payments reach $32 million.
The tribe retains the discretion to reduce the annual contribution, but the payment cannot fall below $21 million.
The compact amendment also responds to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' 2022 Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians v. California decision, which addressed provisions that may be included in tribal-state gaming agreements under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The amendment removes several provisions from Pechanga's existing compact, including sections concerning off-reservation environmental and economic impacts.
SB 1235 also ratifies agreements with the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians and Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.
