Get a taste of the Gold Rush in Jackson
By: Albert C. Pacciorini
Special to The Examiner
August 14, 2009
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| Calling all card players: Jackson Rancheria Casino, which is open to visitors age 18 and up, caters to a young crowd. (Courtesy photo) |
Construction work on part of the hotel at Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel should be complete by January.
Some meeting and hotel rooms, and in a separate construction, part of the casino, are undergoing retrofits.
The hotel’s tower rooms are still available for booking, and the casino has partnered with several motels in downtown Jackson, CEO Rich Hoffman said.
Unlike many casinos, Jackson’s minimum age is the same as the state’s legal age, 18.
However, Hoffman said, “We don’t serve alcohol on the floor of the casino.” That age advantage gives the casino a positive blip in business with the 18-21 crowd, he said.
There’s a good mix of slot types, and an electronic roulette machine.
The Jackson casino, off Highway 49 about 45 miles southeast of Sacramento, has a fairly new 100-space RV park, and has opened a 24-hour general store and large gas station. Members of Jackson casino’s Dreamcatcher’s players club can use their club cards to get 10 cents off a gallon of gas.
A Shop Jackson campaign offers discounts at about 60 businesses in the nearby town of Jackson, founded as a mining camp during the Gold Rush.
That tie-in with local business is one way the casino helps the local community. Hoffman is chairman of the town’s revitalization
committee.
The casino also has a shuttle to and from Jackson.
While the tribe that owns the casino isn’t legally obligated to pay any local fees or taxes, Hoffman said, it voluntarily donates millions of dollars to the community. It gave $1 million to Sutter Amador Hospital to expand its outpatient treatment and funded expansion of the emergency department. The tribe also helps fund sheriff’s and fire protection and supports hundreds of charitable organizations.
Jackson casino opened in 1991 as a Bingo hall, and has expanded to become Amador County’s largest private employer, with 1,700 workers.
It’s owned by the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians, a smaller tribe with about 20 voting members. Three of the members work directly at the casino; others work at other jobs on the rancheria. The casino takes up just a few of the rancheria’s 1,500 acres.
Travel tip: Plan a leisurely weekend to visit Jackson casino and one of the many of historic towns, unique events and wineries along Highway 49. Take the Bay Bridge to Interstate 580 east, then I-205 to Highway 88 east to Jackson. If meat’s your thing, stop at the popular Lockeford Meat & Sausage Co. on the way on Highway 88, which often has a line of people out the door.
Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel
Where: 12222 New York Ranch Road, Jackson
Phone: (800) 822-WINN (9466)
Web: www.jacksoncasino.com
Slots: 1,524
Tables: 49
Parking spaces: 2,000
Extras: Hotel, spa, 257,000 square-foot casino, RV park, gas station and general store.
