North Fork Mono Casino, a $750 Million Project, Opens

The $750 million North Fork Mono Casino in California opened at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27, one day ahead of the planned date. The facility sits beside Highway 99 near Madera and is owned by the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. It is operated by Station Casinos, a Las Vegas-based company and part of Red Rock Resorts.

Hundreds of people attended the opening ceremony. Tribal leader Elaine Bethel Fink thanked supporters for their patience during the long wait.

The opening is overshadowed by a lawsuit. The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, which runs the nearby Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, filed a federal suit in June challenging the management contract approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission in 2024. Picayune argues that the project lacks the necessary state approval.

The dispute traces back to a 2014 state referendum. In December 2025, a state appellate court ruled that this vote also invalidated the approval given by former Governor Jerry Brown. North Fork maintains that federal approvals remain valid and that Picayune is reopening issues that have already been settled. U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff held a hearing on October 9, but as of Thursday no ruling had been issued halting operations.

Picayune says the new casino could seriously reduce its own tribe's revenue. North Fork says the project is vital to its members in terms of jobs, housing, and other programs. The 264,000-square-foot facility, whose groundbreaking took place in 2024, features more than 2,400 slot machines, 40 table games, a high-limit room, eight restaurants, and four bars. The project is expected to create more than 1,500 jobs in the surrounding area.