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Casino Pauma to Expand Under New Partnership
Pauma Band of Mission Indians casino officials announced Wednesday that their operations will be undergoing expansions to transform it into a major resort under a new partnership with another tribal casino operator.
Pauma Tribe will be partnering up with Mashantucket Pequots' Foxwoods Development Co., the operators of Foxwoods casino in eastern Connecticut, the world's largest casino. The $300 million project includes a 500-room hotel and a casino that will house 2,000 slot machines.
The new casino resort will be replacing Casino Pauma, but Casino Pauma will remain open for business while the new casino is being built next to it on Pauma Reservation Road.
However, despite Foxwoods being the world's largest casino, the new casino to be built in Pauma won't be the largest in North County. Nearby Pala Casino Resort & Spa and Valley View Casino might still overshadow the Pauma casino in size.
Foxwoods casino on the other hand, has 7,100 slots and 1,400 hotel rooms. The Pequots are already on the road to expanding outside of Connecticut with developments in Mississippi and at present also has a casino proposal in Philadelphia.
"We are fortunate to have the financial resources and gaming expertise to help other tribal communities to achieve economic self-sufficiency," said the Mashantucket Pequots tribal chairman, Michael Thomas, in the same statement.
"The Pequots respect Native sovereignty and have a long history of struggle and perseverance, and we can relate to that," said Pauma tribal Chairman Chris Devers.
Paumas have also forged successful expansion deals with two Las Vegas gaming companies in the last two years. San Diego county officials say that because of the previous deals, they had known that an announcement from the tribe was imminent.
Tribal liaison Chantal Saipe said county officials are set to negotiate an agreement on how the Pauma tribe will handle the environmental impact of the expansion plan.
The Pauma band signed a contract with the state of California in 2004 that had relaxed the limitations on the allowed number of slot machines that it could house in its casino. The deal also states that the tribe must first seek public opinion before pushing through with expansions.
Some of the expected effects of the Pauma casino expansion are traffic around the area and the increased need for fire protection and law enforcement services.
"At this point, we can think of possible significant impacts, but we have to find out the details from them," Saipe said.
The Pauma band projects that construction could start in the spring of 2007.
Monday, September 04 , 2006
Edward O'Connor