The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria marked a major milestone this week in the $1 billion expansion of Graton Resort and Casino, placing a symbolic final beam onto the future gaming floor structure during a traditional topping-off ceremony.
The event celebrated progress on a large-scale project that will increase the size and scope of the Bay Area’s largest casino. Once completed, the expansion will add over 180,000 square feet of indoor space, 2,000 or more slot machines, more than 200 hotel rooms, a 3,500-seat concert venue, new retail shops, a rooftop restaurant, and an enlarged pool area. A new five-story parking structure is already in operation.
“As American Indians, we’ve suffered quite a bit of tragedy,” said Tribal Chairman Greg Sarris during the event. “I think my people have shown that we can work with others, that we can rise above the worst of situations, and set a good example about how to create a business that benefits all, Indians and non-Indians alike.”
When the expansion is completed, Graton Rancheria expects the resort to become Sonoma County’s largest private-sector employer. The casino is already the second-largest, with thousands employed at the facility near Rohnert Park.
Despite the celebration, the tribe remains at the center of ongoing regional and national political tensions. Graton Rancheria is engaged in a legal battle against the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs over a rival casino proposed by the Koi Nation on land near Windsor.
The Graton leadership has accused the Koi and federal officials of fast-tracking a project that they say could shift tribal land jurisdiction and harm local historical stewardship.
Sarris stated that his tribe’s opposition is not rooted in business rivalry but in concerns over cultural and legal sovereignty. He also raised conflict-of-interest concerns regarding former federal officials now working with organizations linked to the Koi Nation, noting previous affiliations that, in his view, undermine the integrity of the approval process.
National political shifts have added further uncertainty. The Trump administration’s recent rollback of executive actions on tribal funding and self-determination, including a 2021 order aimed at increasing tribal autonomy, has raised alarms.
“If we were to lose our IHS moneys, except for donations, I don’t know how it could continue. People come all the way from Kashia (on the remote northwestern Sonoma Coast) for kidney dialysis. They would literally die,” he added.
Sarris expressed wariness but also strategic optimism regarding political winds in Washington. While Graton Rancheria was a major donor to progressive candidates in the last election cycle, he acknowledged to The Press Democrat that recent federal decisions, such as the approval of the Koi project under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, may make the tribe’s experience a case study in partisan criticism of bureaucratic overreach.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/27/99599-california-39s-graton-rancheria-tops-off-1-billion-casino-expansion-project
