Future of mega Madera County casino near Highway 99 unclear after state court steps in
A California appellate court ruling casts doubt on the future of the North Fork Rancheria casino project near Highway 99.Summary
The future of a large casino project in Madera County is uncertain after a Fresno appellate court ruled against the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. The court affirmed that prior state approvals for the casino are no longer valid, siding with the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, who argued a 2014 voter proposition rejecting the casino superseded earlier approvals. The planned casino would have included 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games, a 200-room hotel, and employed over 1,000 people. Despite the ruling, construction continued on Friday. North Fork representatives stated the ruling addressed a narrow point of state law and did not affect prior federal approvals, which they previously defended in federal court, and they intend to continue construction.
(Source：Yahoo! News)