Rival Tribe Sues to Stop North Fork Mono Casino Before October Opening

MADERA, Calif. – A rival tribe is asking a federal court to stop the North Fork Mono Casino from beginning gaming ahead of its planned October opening.

If successful, the lawsuit could delay or block Class III gaming at the new Madera County property as the casino prepares to hire more than 1,500 workers.

The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, which operates Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, filed the complaint June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The National Indian Gaming Commission, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts are among the defendants.

Picayune argues that North Fork cannot lawfully conduct casino gaming on the Highway 99 site because the state concurrence required under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is no longer valid. The complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, stating, “This lawsuit seeks to prevent that unlawful gaming before it starts”.

California Court Ruling Drives New Federal Challenge

The dispute centers on a 305-acre parcel that received a federal two-part gaming determination in 2011. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown concurred with the determination in 2012, and California subsequently approved a tribal-state gaming compact for the project.

California voters rejected Proposition 48 in 2014, overturning legislation that ratified the compact. In December 2025, the California Court of Appeal affirmed a ruling that the vote also rendered Brown’s concurrence void from the outset, and the California Supreme Court declined to review the case on April 1, 2026.

North Fork has continued to rely on federal authorization. The Department of the Interior issued Class III gaming procedures for the tribe in 2016 after a federal court found California had failed to negotiate a new compact in good faith.

North Fork Pushes Back Against Lawsuit

North Fork has asked the federal court to dismiss the latest complaint, arguing that Picayune is revisiting issues raised in earlier litigation. The tribe said in court filings that Picayune had “repackaged” claims after losing previous federal challenges involving approvals for the Madera site.

Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts have also sought dismissal. Station characterized the complaint as an “eleventh-hour lawsuit” based on arguments it says have previously been rejected.

The new casino is less than 40 miles from Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. Picayune alleges that North Fork’s location near Highway 99 would directly compete for customers and reduce gaming revenue used to support tribal government programs and services.

October Opening Remains Scheduled

Construction began in September 2024 after more than two decades of planning and litigation. Red Rock Resorts’ latest SEC filing estimates total project costs at approximately $750 million and says the property is expected to open during the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, which operates Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, filed the complaint June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The National Indian Gaming Commission, which plays a central role in federal oversight of tribal gaming, is among the defendants alongside North Fork Rancheria, Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts.

The federal lawsuit remains pending while preparations for the casino continue. The court’s handling of the dismissal requests and Picayune’s effort to obtain an injunction will determine whether the latest legal challenge affects the October opening or whether North Fork proceeds as scheduled.

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