When California voters decided the fate of casino gambling almost a quarter-century ago, supporters of Proposition 1A offered assurances that casinos would be limited to existing tribal lands.
That’s mostly proved true.
One familiar exception is the Graton Resort and Casino on the outskirts of Rohnert Park. The tribe was terminated by the U.S. government in the 1950s, and its rancheria in Graton was sold. When federal recognition was restored by an act of Congress in 2000, the tribe was authorized to acquire land. It did so in 2007, and the Graton casino opened in 2013.
California has 103 reservations and rancherias recognized by the federal government, more than any other state.
