New Year’s Eve parties at some tribal casinos still on as California COVID cases spike

As California officials brace for a post-holiday surge of COVID-19 cases, tribal casinos are planning for New Year’s Eve celebrations that are expected to pack in thousands of revelers and gamblers.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln is planning an invitation-only event for 6,000 customers, and Cache Creek Casino Resort is closing to the public for a private event through 6 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Others appear to be planning for business-as-usual during the pandemic, with masks and temperature checks required along with social distancing and increased cleaning practices.

And at least one Northern California tribal casino — Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park — scrapped plans for a 4,000-person VIP party following media scrutiny of the plan.

The varying approaches come as California’s statewide aggregate availability of intensive care unit beds has dropped to 0% and tribal casinos, which because of tribal sovereignty are not subject to state stay-at-home orders, keep their doors open while other gambling operations shut down.

But a spokesman for Thunder Valley, the region’s largest tribal casino, says its New Year’s Eve event actually will result in far fewer gamblers entering its property, which during past celebrations could see more than 30,000 people crowd into the sprawling facility.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Thunder Valley is closing to the general public on New Year’s Eve and limiting the number of guests that will have access to the casino to 6,000, which is less than 20% of attendance on a typical NYE at Thunder Valley,” spokesman Doug Elmets said in a statement to The Sacramento Bee on Monday.

The casino and hotel are closing to the general public at 1 p.m. Thursday and will reopen the next day at 6 a.m., allowing its 6,000 invited guests to spread out over 835,000 square feet, which “will allow more than ample opportunity for social distancing amongst guests,” Elmets said.

“In addition, mask wearing will be strictly enforced, acrylic barriers will be in place between guests and reduced seating capacities will be implemented property wide,” he added.

Thunder Valley’s plans are similar to what had been expected at the Graton Casino, until media attention led to the casino to announce on Facebook that its “previously scheduled private event has been canceled and we will be closing our doors from 5PM on December 31, 2020 until 6AM on January 1, 2021.”

“We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you again in 2021,” the casino wrote.

A spokesman for Cache Creek, which is west of Sacramento in the Capay Valley, said in an email Tuesday that “plans that were made in early December for a public New Year’s Eve event have since been canceled.”

“Instead, between noon on December 31 and 6am on January 1 we will be closed to the public,” spokesman Ben Deci wrote. “During that time, a small number of special guests who have asked to observe the holiday with us will be permitted to remain.

“How few? To give you some perspective, it will be limited to less than 1% of our pre-COVID occupancy. The rigorous COVID-19 response program that we developed during our previous closures remains in place. This includes temperature checks as a condition of entry and an employee testing program for every member of the Cache Creek Casino Resort staff.”

Officials for Red Hawk Casino near Placerville and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino-Sacramento at Fire Mountain, which is in Wheatland, did not respond to requests for comment Monday, but operators at both casinos said they will remain open to the public New Year’s.

Harrah’s Northern California in Ione sent out an announcement Tuesday touting the chance to “kick off the new year in style” with food and drink specials and restaurant reservations that limit table capacity to six people.

Like other tribal casinos, Harrah’s added that it has implemented new sanitation efforts because of the pandemic.

“As part of Harrah’s Northern California’s ongoing quest to keep guests and team members safe, the casino is following a comprehensive outline of enhanced health and sanitation protocols,” the casino said. “Guests returning to the property will notice changes to the experience, including limited guest capacity on the casino floor and dining outlets, social distancing procedures and enhanced sanitation protocols.”

The fact that tribal casinos have been able to continue operations while others must adhere to state mandates has left some gambling halls grumbling at the disparate treatment.

“We’re frustrated and dispirited,” a spokesman for Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights said Monday. “Despite going through backbreaking lengths and significant expense to move our operations outdoors with the sole focus on safety, we had to furlough 85% of our workforce.

“The state’s decision to close our operations for the third time seem at odds with the research that indoor gatherings are the cause of the increased exposure. Our nearly 400 employees are disheartened that the state has closed our outdoor operations, when their contemporaries are allowed to work indoors at Tribal Casinos with none of the safeguards. At best, it simply makes no sense.”

Elmets noted that the event Thunder Valley has planned will bring in considerably fewer people than other casinos open to the public that night, which traditionally is a huge night for casinos.

And he added that Thunder Valley “has the most aggressive surveillance testing program anywhere” for coronavirus and has performed 3,500 tests on its 2,500 employees. To date, fewer than 40 have tested positive, he said.

“We also absorb all testing costs for team members that may convey that they are experiencing symptoms,” he added. “Unlike many employers, Thunder Valley pays all benefits and wages for the entire CDC-recommended quarantine period for team members that test positive or have been exposed to someone who tested positive.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM.