Harrah's Northern California casino to open in two weeks

Northern California’s newest casino is just two weeks away from opening its doors. Nestled in the Amador County foothills, in the city of Ione off Highway 88, the new Harrah's Northern California casino is a partnership between the Buena Vista Rancheria Me-Wuk tribe and Caesars Entertainment.

The casino will open to the public at 4:29 p.m. April 29 to pay homage to Louie Oliver, a tribal ancestor with the same birthday. The casino restaurant will also be named after him. The 71,000-square-foot property will have 20 tables and just under 1,000 slot machines. A hotel is not on the property but is being planned in the future.

"Nine hundred fifty slot machines, 20 tables games, we’ll have quick serve restaurants with Mexican, Asian and American food," Assistant General Manager Lisa Yahrling said, as reported by Fox40. "Louis Oliver's is our nice dining restaurant."

Yahrling says the biggest benefit to loyal gamblers is the expansion of the Caesars’ network in the region. The Ione property is still hiring some positions, but so far casino executives say the project has created more than full-time 400 jobs in addition to construction crews, 80% of which have gone to local people. State records show it will join the largest employers in Amador County, behind Jackson Rancheria Casino and Mule Creek State Prison.

A new Cal Fire station was also built outside the entrance for the community. The casino is also working with Ione Police Department to increase patrols during peak hours. “Right now, we have a total of seven full-time people,” police Sgt. Jeff Arnold said. “So it’s a small department.”

An opening celebration event is planned during the weekend of May 17.

We will be celebrating our Grand Opening weekend Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19, 2019!
Until then, enjoy these never-before-seen renderings and get ready to start planning your trip!🎰 #norcalfun #notaprilfools #grandopening #ione #norcal pic.twitter.com/nv76ohwKMq

— Harrah's Northern California (@HarrahsNorCal) 1 de abril de 2019