Elk Grove News

Sky River breaking ground on hotel in Elk Grove. What else is new at the casino?

The Wilton Rancheria tribe and Boyd Gaming Corp. broke ground Monday on a 300-room hotel at Sky River Casino, the latest in a series of expansions at the Elk Grove gaming destination that opened in August 2022. The hotel is the most ambitious addition yet at a property that has steadily grown its gaming floor, parking and amenities.

Here are key takeaways:

• New hotel: The 300-room hotel and resort will include a salon and spa, a 30,000-square-foot event and entertainment space, a pool, a botanical atrium, a restaurant, coffee shop and bar. It is expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028 and bring 300 to 400 jobs.

A 300-room hotel is part of the second phase of expansion plans announced for Sky River Casino in Elk Grove on Friday, June 7, 2024.
A 300-room hotel is part of the second phase of expansion plans announced for Sky River Casino in Elk Grove on Friday, June 7, 2024. Sky River Casino

• Expanded gaming floor: Sky River opened its expanded gaming floor in March, adding 312 new slot machines to bring the total to 2,500 across 120,000 square feet, along with 81 table games.

• New parking garage: A five-story parking garage with more than 1,600 stalls across 680,000-plus square feet opened in March as part of the casino’s resort transformation.

The new parking garage at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove. With around 1,600 new parking stalls, the garage is part of the casino’s expansion efforts, according to a news release.
The new parking garage at Sky River Casino in Elk Grove. With around 1,600 new parking stalls, the garage is part of the casino’s expansion efforts, according to a news release. Bright Eyes Marketing

• Record jackpot: A woman won a record $1,099,735 jackpot this month on a $3 bet while playing a Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Big Money slot machine — the largest payout in the casino’s history.

A dragon theme mural greets visitors at the Dragon Beaux restaurant at Sky River Casino on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Elk Grove. It’s the second location for the San Francisco-based Cantonese restaurant, which shares an owner with famed Bay Area dim sum spot Koi Palace.
A dragon theme mural greets visitors at the Dragon Beaux restaurant at Sky River Casino on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Elk Grove. It’s the second location for the San Francisco-based Cantonese restaurant, which shares an owner with famed Bay Area dim sum spot Koi Palace. Paul Kitagaki Jr. pkitagaki@sacbee.com

• Dining and lounges: The casino now features 18 restaurants and bars, including SR Prime Steakhouse, Dragon Beaux, 32 Brew Street, The Humidor cigar lounge and Tequila Barrel, which serves 89 types of tequila and mezcal. In October, Sky River also added “Fork on the Road,” a rotating international food concept with menus changing about every two months, expanding its global dining lineup.

Wilton Rancheria tribal leaders break ground on Sky River Casino's new hotel on Monday, April 27, 2026. The hotel and resort is scheduled to open in late 2027 or early 2028.
Wilton Rancheria tribal leaders break ground on Sky River Casino's new hotel on Monday, April 27, 2026. The hotel and resort is scheduled to open in late 2027 or early 2028. Camryn Dadey cdadey@sacbee.com

• Tribal significance: Wilton Rancheria Chairman Jesus Tarango said Monday that the hotel reflects the tribe’s economic self-sufficiency. “We are a people reclaiming what is ours,” he said.

• Location: Sky River Casino is at 1 Sky River Parkway in Elk Grove, 17 miles southeast of downtown Sacramento, along Highway 99.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.

This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 12:02 PM.

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