| Thunder Valley Casino Resort | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1200 Athens Avenue, Lincoln, California 95648 |
| Opening date | June 2003 |
| Theme | Lincoln, California |
| No. of rooms | 300 |
| Total gaming space | 144,500 sq ft (13,420 m2) |
| Notable restaurants | High Steaks |
| Casino type | Native American |
| Owner | United Indian Auburn Community |
| Architect | JMA Architecture Studios |
| Years renovated | Expansion, July 2010 |
| Coordinates | |
| Website | www.thundervalleyresort.com |
Thunder Valley Casino Resort is a AAA Four Diamond award-winning casino and resort located in the unincorporated Lincoln, California, 30 miles (48 km) east of Sacramento. It is owned by the United Auburn Indian Community and was opened in June 2003.
Thunder Valley was the first full Las Vegas-style casino in Northern California.[1]
The 275,000-square-foot (25,550 m²) facility offers a variety of gaming including slot machines, live poker, and various other table games.
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Thunder Valley Casino Resort is owned by the United Auburn Indian Community, a Native American tribe consisting of mostly Miwuk and Maidu Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley region. In the 1950s and 60s, the United States government terminated 41 California rancherias—mini-reservations—including that of the Miwok and Maidu Auburn band. As a way to lift themselves out of poverty, the members of the tribe decided to build a casino after Congress restored the tribe’s federal status in 1994, allowing the tribe to acquire land under tribal sovereignty.[2]
The United Auburn Indian Community entered into a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the State of California in September 1999 in order to conduct Class III gaming on trust land. This compact was later successfully renegotiated with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004.
Thunder Valley was designed by JMA Architecture Studios and built by the PENTA Building Group.[3] The casino was opened in June 2003 and then expanded starting in March 2009 and finishing July 2010.
The UAIC is known for their efforts to abide by state and local land-use laws, even though they are not obligated to do so under sovereignty law. For example, the UAIC chose to include the California Environmental Quality Act in its local agreement, something only a handful of tribes submit to.[4]
The casino has over 3,000 slot and video machines, 125 table games (including blackjack, paigow, etc.) and a live poker room with enough space for 160 players. The casino regularly holds promotions and special events including drawings, cash prizes, and tournaments. Thunder Valley's summer 2011 promotion is winning a brand new BMW 7-series.
The expansion completed in July 2010 includes a 17-story, luxury hotel with 297 rooms, with 40 suites. Inside the hotel is a large banquet and entertainment hall (Pano Hall) with the capacity of 1,000 guests, meeting rooms, bars and a gift shop. The pool has surrounding private cabanas and a poolside bar, Coconut. There are a total of 14 restaurants and bars, including
The spa offers facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, Lomi Lomi, hot stone massages, and the signature 24-karat gold leaf facial. There is also a sauna, whirlpool, steam room, and health club.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort hosts a number of concerts and shows in the summertime in their outdoor amphitheater. Some past and scheduled appearances include
Thunder Valley Casino Resort will receive for the year 2012 AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond Award. AAA is only one of two rating entities to conduct unscheduled, anonymous, on-site evaluations. AAA rates establishments on a One to Five Diamonds scale according to lodging and restaurant-published guidelines for facilities, amenities and service. Out of the 59,000 properties that are AAA diamond-rated, only 3.6 percent have received a Four Diamond rating.[6]
Using the revenue generated from Thunder Valley, the UAIC gives about $1 million annually to nonprofit groups in Placer County. Some beneficiaries of ongoing and previous donations include the Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center, Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Foundation, and Foothill Volunteer Center.
In January 2005, the UAIC donated $250,000 to assist Habitat for Humanity International's (HFHI) relief efforts in southern Asia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[7]
In January 2010, the UAIC donated $50,000 to Partners in Health for their efforts in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake aftermath.[8]
In February 2011, the UAIC announced an allocation of $500,000 to its community fund for 2011, to be donated to nonprofit organizations in Placer County.[9]
The UAIC’s Community Giving Program has provided over $8.6 million to nonprofit organizations supporting needs in education, health, arts and humanities, the environment, community development and social services.[10]