Casino off the hill entices gamblers

LINCOLN - It was like lightning struck a remote area of Placer County off Highway 65 when Thunder Valley Casino opened in June.

A grain tower pales in comparison to the casino dominating the surrounding farmland. The only other landmark is a $1.5 million fire station Las Vegas-based Station Casinos agreed to build.

By summer, Station will have done business for a year with the United Auburn Indian Community.

The sprawling casino on Athens Road in Roseville is a long way from Las Vegas, but the fastest growing city in the United States has put its stamp of approval on the project.

Vegas' Station Casinos gains a quarter of Thunder Valley's profits in annual management fees.

The ornate features of the 200,000-square-foot establishment reflect the gaming world.

"We call this the Sistine Chapel of Sacramento," joked Thunder Valley General Manager Scott Garawitz, pointing to the artwork on the ceiling.

Forty-two artists worked on the ceiling of the building that houses 1,906 slot and video poker machines, 111 table games, a bingo parlor and an assortment of fast-food eateries and a five-star steakhouse. Two are run by Thunder Valley. They include a 500-seat buffet and Austins Steakhouse with 2,000 wine bottles on display.

From the use of mahogany the decorative iron surrounding the money cage, the finishing touches represent Station's commitment to making a first impression, Garawitz said. He has worked for Station Casinos in Las Vegas and Missouri for 10 years.

Even the slot-floor chairs are ergonomically correct, of which Garawitz is especially, saying he had a hand in their design.

VIP rooms appeal to high rollers with a $50,000 line of credit.

Outside, 3,000 parking spaces invite a chunk of the 5 million people who live in the casino's 100-mile radius.

Station's $215 million investment must be paying off. It will rake in a projected $70 million in management fees for its first year.

Shares on the New York Stock Exchange remain strong for the casino operator. On Wednesday, they closed at $42.70 - bringing to investors a 52-week high that increased more than 9 percent in one day.

"It's exceeded everyone's expectations. We set out not to build a California casino. We set out to build a Nevada-style casino," Garawitz said.

The casino installed an air conditioning and filtering system that runs 10 circulations every hour. "Sometimes there are finishing touches people don't even see," Garawitz said.

n n n

The impact to the tribe is more visible, spokesman Doug Elmets said.

Two of the 2,200 employees are tribal members, but there are other advantages.

"Prior to June 9, not a single member of the tribe had health insurance," he said.

The climb out of poverty was supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which said more than half of tribe was unemployed.

The investment panned out, with 1,000 people working around the clock. Elmets joked the casino took eight years to plan and eight months to construct. Wages range from $40,000 to $60,000 a year.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has opened negotiations with the tribe for revenue-sharing agreements to alter the gaming compact.

Thunder Valley hopes to increase the number of slot machines in the deal.

Overall, the plans of the tribe and casino operator don't end with the day-trip gaming which now attracts about 7,500 people in a 24-hour period. The demographic average is between age of 35 and 55.

There are hopes for a hotel with an undetermined number of rooms, if county zoning requirements can be met.

"There's a desperate need for a hotel in Placer County," Elmets said.

That kind of commitment may up the ante for Lake Tahoe and Reno casinos.

Thunder Valley has so far concentrated on its own region.

"We don't compete with Reno or Tahoe. We concentrate locally," Garawitz said. "The weather does come up a lot (though)."

Billboards on Highway 65 and Interstate 80 show a vehicle with tire chains with the message "No chains required."

Thunder Valley management declined to give details of its advertising budget and individual numbers of ads.

"We're no different than any other casino. We advertise easy access," the general manager said.

The casino company also runs radio commercials in Sacramento and the Bay area.

n n n

"There are two different decisions that come into play here. There's the decision to come here at the spur of the moment and go home. If people come to Tahoe or Reno, they're taking time off," he said.

Both types were at play at Thunder Valley and Harrah's Lake Tahoe on two recent weekday afternoons.

At Thunder Valley, Nathan Parra of Lincoln said he won $1,000 on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine two weeks ago.

"I've felt lucky for the last two weeks," he said, adding his winnings in that period of time have totaled about $2,200.

"It seems like a lot of people win here," Jeff and Cathy Bye of Cameron Park said. "The guy behind us won $3,000."

Rod Diaz plunked $20 in a slot machine at Harrah's Lake Tahoe and got a quick $125 out of it.

"We always come to Harrah's. We're lucky here," he said.

Then, there are the other considerations at the lake.

"We come up for everything - not just for the gaming," Marin County resident Darren Zunino said.

He was asked how the casinos compared to each other.

"Thunder Valley - what's that?" he asked.

Contact Susan Wood at (530) 542-8009 or swood@tahoedailytribune.com.