California Casinos Provide Student Housing and Opioid Crisis Help

Article ByDavid Weir

August 28, 2023

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Posted in: California Gambling News, US Casino News

In a commendable display of community involvement, two California casino operators have taken significant steps over the past month to give back to their communities.

One California brick & mortar tribal casino has partnered with a local college to provide student housing, and another has made a substantial donation to combat the opioid crisis affecting native communities.

The Bear River Rancheria Casino (pictured) has partnered with the nearby College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. It will offer accommodation options to students at market price in its 104-room hotel, located about 10 minutes from the Northern California college.

Elsewhere in the state, the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians has donated more than $35,000 to its local Fresno Police Chief’s Foundation battle against opioid addiction.

The funds will go towards specialist drug dogs and support units to help fight the epidemic of fentanyl and other opioid overdoses affecting the local community.

Bear River Casino Partners with College for Student Housing

The Bear River Rancheria and College of the Redwoods (CR) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to temporarily house CR Residence Hall students at the Bear River Hotel. This arrangement ensures that students pay the same rental rate as they would for dorm rooms.

To further facilitate the students, a free shuttle service will operate twice daily from Monday to Friday, offering free transport between the hotel and the college.

College of the Redwoods is among the 12 California Community Colleges that offer dormitory accommodations. With the increasing difficulty students face in finding affordable off-campus housing, this partnership with Bear River Hotel ensures students have easy access to the college’s facilities, reducing commute time and expenses. Around 30 or so of the 120 students seeking local housing look set to take up the offer.

“These additional housing options will allow our students to fully immerse themselves in their academic journey without the burden of finding suitable accommodation elsewhere,” said Dr. Keith Flamer, President of College of the Redwoods.

The collaboration signifies the beginning of a potentially broader partnership, which might extend to the construction of an NCAA regulation-size artificial turf baseball field on Bear River Rancheria for CR teams.

Chukchansi Indians Donate to Combat Opioid Crisis

On a different note, the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians has taken a stand against the opioid crisis, which has been impacting native communities in California and across the country.

The tribe has donated $36K to the Fresno Police Chiefs Foundation, enabling the purchase of several K-9s specialized in fentanyl detection. These canines will be part of the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team, a coalition supported by various law enforcement agencies.

The Chukchansi operate the Gold Resort & Casino, ocated near Fresno and Yosemite National Park. The 70,000-square-foot venue offers 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games, and 400 rooms in its resort hotel.

“This type of program will save thousands of lives, but we also need to work together to continue to implement other impactful initiatives to combat this epidemic,” said Laurie Arriaga, vice chairperson of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians.

Across the U.S., tribal casinos are an important economic engine for native communities. Tribal casino revenues reached $40.9 billion in the fiscal year 2022. California brick and mortar tribal casino venues were the biggest market in the country, hitting $11.8 billion over that time.

The nation’s largest commercial casino operators are also active in giving back to communities. MGM Resorts International recently announced a $2.7 million round of funding for its community support initiative, directed by the operator’s several-thousand staff.