Sacramento County’s first tribal gaming casino opened early in Elk Grove.
Sky River Casino, off Highway 99 at Kammerer Road, was supposed to begin operating in September, but the doors opened at midnight on Tuesday.
By 3 a.m., the parking lot was jam-packed and hundreds of people were already gambling in Elk Grove.
Sky River Casino said it’s hired 2,000 people from the area and the business will easily bring in $125 million to the local economy over the next few years.
The casino has 17 restaurants and bars featuring a steak house and tap room with dozens of local beers.
Overall, the casino is 300,000 square feet with 100,000 square feet of space dedicated to gaming. There are 2,000 slot machines and 80 tables.
