PLYMOUTH, Calif. — After 20 years of negotiations and litigation, the Ione Band of Miwok Indians finally broke ground on a new casino on ancestral land in Amador County.
The Acorn Ridge Casino will be a 60,000-square-foot venue located at 17674 Village Drive in Plymouth, about an hour away from Sacramento.
Back in 2003, the tribe began the process of acquiring 228 acres of ancestral land in Amador County. In March 2020, The title of the land was officially transferred into a trust for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians.
“This land was the land of my people, before anyone else’s,” said Sara Dutschke, the Chairwoman for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians.
Around the same time, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the compact for the casino’s development. The provision allows for the tribe to offer up to 1,200 slot machines and other gaming devices. They would also need to comply with state employment laws.
Dutschke envisions the casino as a “boutique gaming facility” offering slots, table games, and restaurants.
She says the casino will be an “economic engine” to help repay the costs accrued with the land earning federal trust status.
The casino is being developed in partnership with Warner Gaming, which worked on casinos in Washington, New Mexico, Nevada and Iowa. Acorn Ridge would be its first California-based casino.
A unique aspect currently being developed in the casino is the use of natural lighting and outdoor spaces for non-gaming areas.
Dutschke estimates the casino would create 250-275 jobs, for tribal citizens and local community members.
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However, residents of the city of Plymouth are more hesitant to embrace the new casino. As some residents are concerned about the increase in traffic the casino would bring.
“[Some residents} really feel there (are) other places the casino could have gone,” said Margaret Roberts, Plymouth’s City Manager.
She acknowledges it is the Miwok’s land and “It is their right to do what they want with the land.”
Robert adds the city wants to be good neighbors and the city council has had a good working relationship with the tribe.
Around 275 people attended today's groundbreaking ceremony, and while more work needs to happen before visitors arrive, Dutschke is excited for what the casino will mean to the community.
“It’s a pivotal moment for our people,” Dutschke said.
The Acorn Ridge Casino’s target opening is Spring 2026.
