Fort Mojave Indian Tribe Secures Updated Gaming Compact with California

The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe has completed a new 25-year Class III gaming compact with the state of California that permits up to two casinos containing as many as 1,200 slot machines plus additional Las Vegas-style table games on eligible trust land located in San Bernardino County. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the agreement on July 21, 2026, marking the tribe’s first updated compact in more than a decade and replacing an earlier arrangement that had remained in place since the mid-2010s. This compact authorizes Class III gaming activities under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which covers slot machines, blackjack, roulette and other house-banked card games that tribes may operate once they reach agreement with a state. The new document contains no references to specific casino sites, development schedules, environmental review filings or construction timelines, leaving those decisions for later phases of planning by the tribe.

Key Terms of the Agreement

The compact eliminates the revenue-sharing payments that appeared in many previous California tribal compacts and substitutes a structure based on regulatory cost reimbursements paid to state agencies that oversee gaming compliance. When the number of gaming devices exceeds 350, the tribe must also contribute a modest mitigation payment to local governments in the county to address increased demands on public services. These provisions apply across the full 25-year term without automatic renewal clauses or escalation schedules tied to gross gaming revenue.

California law requires that tribal-state compacts receive legislative ratification before they take full effect, and the July 2026 signing represents the initial step in that process. The agreement covers only lands already held in trust by the federal government for the tribe or lands that may later qualify under the Indian Reorganization Act, rather than creating new trust acquisitions through this document alone.

Background on Prior Arrangements

Before this update, the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe operated under a compact negotiated more than ten years earlier that included revenue sharing with the state general fund and stricter limits on the number of permissible devices. The new version removes those revenue-sharing requirements while maintaining oversight mechanisms through the California Gambling Control Commission and the Bureau of Gambling Control within the Department of Justice. Tribal officials have indicated that the change aligns the compact with evolving federal interpretations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that limit state demands for direct revenue shares in exchange for compact approval.

Geographic and Regulatory Scope

San Bernardino County sits in the Mojave Desert region of Southern California and already hosts several tribal gaming operations on other reservations. The Fort Mojave lands eligible under the compact lie near the Colorado River and the Arizona border, where the tribe maintains its primary reservation. The document does not authorize gaming on any off-reservation sites or urban parcels, keeping all activity restricted to qualifying trust land within the county boundaries already identified in federal records.

State regulators retain authority to inspect facilities, audit gaming systems and enforce minimum internal control standards identical to those applied at other California tribal casinos. The compact also incorporates updated provisions for responsible gaming programs, problem-gambling treatment contributions and coordination with local law enforcement on issues such as underage access and money laundering prevention.

Next Steps and Implementation

Because the agreement contains no site-specific approvals, the tribe must still complete separate environmental reviews under both the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act before any construction can begin. Federal approval of any management contracts or financing arrangements will also require review by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Observers note that these additional layers typically extend the timeline from compact execution to opening day by several years even when no litigation intervenes.

The absence of revenue sharing distinguishes this compact from earlier California agreements with tribes such as the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which continue to remit portions of slot revenue to the state. The Fort Mojave arrangement instead follows a narrower model focused on cost recovery that has appeared in a handful of more recent compacts negotiated since 2020.

Conclusion

The July 2026 compact provides the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe with a long-term regulatory framework for expanding its gaming operations within San Bernardino County while shifting financial obligations away from direct revenue sharing and toward reimbursement of state regulatory expenses. With no development plans or locations yet identified, the next phase will center on land-use planning, environmental documentation and legislative ratification before any facilities can move forward.