Hard Rock Wheatland starts countdown to inauguration

Amid wind and rain, Northern California’s upcoming Hard Rock Hotel & Casino laid its last steel beam this week, marking a milestone for the resort-to-be.

It’s more than 30 miles north of the capital city, but the upcoming property is branded Hard Rock Sacramento at Fire Mountain. The casino, in partnership with Enterprise Rancheria Indian tribe, has been built in the Yuba County city of Wheatland near the Toyota Amphitheatre.

The $440 million project is still targeted for a fall 2019 opening, Enterprise Rancheria Tribal Chairperson Glenda Nelson said at a topping-off ceremony.

“This is really a flagship here,” Nelson said on Wednesday. “This is going to be such a game-changer, not only for our tribal citizens in this community but for everyone involved.”

Promotional details and the upcoming location’s website offer few details about specific amenities. Hard Rock’s 11 existing properties are sprawling mega-casinos.

Fire Mountain will be Hard Rock’s first Vegas-style casino in California.

“It really is about the jobs and the opportunities – about us all working together and really changing the lives of many people that are unemployed in this area,” Nelson said.

Hard Rock has plenty of competition in the Northern California gambling business. Residents of Sacramento are less than an hour drive away from Cache Creek in Yolo County and Thunder Valley in Lincoln, and about 20 minutes from Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights. Thunder Valley recently expanded its hotel and constructed a large new poker room.

The region’s casino scene will get even more crowded with Wilton Rancheria tribe’s planned $400 million casino in Elk Grove, which is setting its sights for an early 2020 opening.