Thunder Valley Casino Resort
Encyclopedia
Thunder Valley Casino Resort is a AAA Four Diamond
award-winning casino
and resort
located in the unincorporated
Lincoln, California
, 30 miles (48 km) east of Sacramento. It is owned by the United Auburn Indian Community
and was opened in June 2003.
Thunder Valley was the first full Las Vegas-style casino
in Northern California
.
The 275,000-square-foot (25,550 m²) facility offers a variety of gaming including slot machines, live poker, and various other table games.
, a Native American tribe consisting of mostly Miwuk
and Maidu
Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley
region. In the 1950s and 60s, the United States government terminated 41 California rancherias—mini-reservations—including that of the Miwok and Maidu Auburn band. As a way to lift themselves out of poverty, the members of the tribe decided to build a casino after Congress restored the tribe’s federal status in 1994, allowing the tribe to acquire land under tribal sovereignty
.
The United Auburn Indian Community entered into a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the State of California in September 1999 in order to conduct Class III gaming on trust land. This compact was later successfully renegotiated with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
in 2004.
Thunder Valley was designed by JMA Architecture Studios and built by the PENTA Building Group. The casino was opened in June 2003 and then expanded starting in March 2009 and finishing July 2010.
The UAIC is known for their efforts to abide by state and local land-use laws, even though they are not obligated to do so under sovereignty law. For example, the UAIC chose to include the California Environmental Quality Act in its local agreement, something only a handful of tribes submit to.
The spa offers facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, Lomi Lomi
, hot stone massages, and the signature 24-karat gold leaf facial. There is also a sauna, whirlpool, steam room, and health club.
prestigious Four Diamond Award. AAA is only one of two rating entities to conduct unscheduled, anonymous, on-site evaluations. AAA rates establishments on a One to Five Diamonds scale according to lodging and restaurant-published guidelines for facilities, amenities and service. Out of the 59,000 properties that are AAA diamond-rated, only 3.6 percent have received a Four Diamond rating.
In January 2005, the UAIC donated $250,000 to assist Habitat for Humanity International's
(HFHI) relief efforts in southern Asia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
In January 2010, the UAIC donated $50,000 to Partners in Health
for their efforts in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake
aftermath.
In February 2011, the UAIC announced an allocation of $500,000 to its community fund for 2011, to be donated to nonprofit organizations in Placer County.
The UAIC’s Community Giving Program has provided over $8.6 million to nonprofit organizations supporting needs in education, health, arts and humanities, the environment, community development and social services.
AAA
AAA, or Triple-A, may be a three-letter acronym or may just mean something that is high-quality, premier, or excellent.As a proper noun, Aaa is found only in the species name Cavaticovelia aaa , an insect from Hawaii....
award-winning casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
located in the unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Lincoln, California
Lincoln, California
Lincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. The population was 42,819 at the 2010 census, with a growth rate of 282.1 percent since 2000 , making it the fastest growing city in the U.S...
, 30 miles (48 km) east of Sacramento. It is owned by the United Auburn Indian Community
United Auburn Indian Community
The United Auburn Indian Community is a Native American tribe consisting mostly of Miwok and Maidu Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley region. The historic Auburn Rancheria is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California....
and was opened in June 2003.
Thunder Valley was the first full Las Vegas-style casino
Megacasino
A Megacasino or Las Vegas Style Casino is a very large gambling center. These casinos feature themes and resemble skyscrapers or major landmarks. They have large gambling floors with every variety of gaming machine, sports gambling and game of chance with square footages in the millions. They have...
in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
The 275,000-square-foot (25,550 m²) facility offers a variety of gaming including slot machines, live poker, and various other table games.
History
Thunder Valley Casino Resort is owned by the United Auburn Indian CommunityUnited Auburn Indian Community
The United Auburn Indian Community is a Native American tribe consisting mostly of Miwok and Maidu Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley region. The historic Auburn Rancheria is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California....
, a Native American tribe consisting of mostly Miwuk
Miwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
and Maidu
Maidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...
Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
region. In the 1950s and 60s, the United States government terminated 41 California rancherias—mini-reservations—including that of the Miwok and Maidu Auburn band. As a way to lift themselves out of poverty, the members of the tribe decided to build a casino after Congress restored the tribe’s federal status in 1994, allowing the tribe to acquire land under tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty
Tribal sovereignty in the United States refers to the inherent authority of indigenous tribes to govern themselves within the borders of the United States of America. The federal government recognizes tribal nations as "domestic dependent nations" and has established a number of laws attempting to...
.
The United Auburn Indian Community entered into a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the State of California in September 1999 in order to conduct Class III gaming on trust land. This compact was later successfully renegotiated with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
in 2004.
Thunder Valley was designed by JMA Architecture Studios and built by the PENTA Building Group. The casino was opened in June 2003 and then expanded starting in March 2009 and finishing July 2010.
The UAIC is known for their efforts to abide by state and local land-use laws, even though they are not obligated to do so under sovereignty law. For example, the UAIC chose to include the California Environmental Quality Act in its local agreement, something only a handful of tribes submit to.
Gambling
The casino has over 3,000 slot and video machines, 125 table games (including blackjack, paigow, etc.) and a live poker room with enough space for 160 players. The casino regularly holds promotions and special events including drawings, cash prizes, and tournaments. Thunder Valley's summer 2011 promotion is winning a brand new BMW 7-series.Attractions
The expansion completed in July 2010 includes a 17-story, luxury hotel with 297 rooms, with 40 suites. Inside the hotel is a large banquet and entertainment hall (Pano Hall) with the capacity of 1,000 guests, meeting rooms, bars and a gift shop. The pool has surrounding private cabanas and a poolside bar, Coconut. There are a total of 14 restaurants and bars, including- High Steaks Steakhouse
- Koi Palace
- Feast Around The World Buffet
- Thunder Cafe
- Mingle Bar
- Falls Bar
- Thunder Bar
- High Steaks Bar
The spa offers facials, massages, pedicures, manicures, Lomi Lomi
Lomilomi massage
Lomilomi, meaning "masseur, masseuse" in the Hawaiian language, is the word used today to describe Hawaiian massage, traditionally called lomi, meaning "to rub, press, squeeze, massage; to work in and out, as the claws of a contented cat"...
, hot stone massages, and the signature 24-karat gold leaf facial. There is also a sauna, whirlpool, steam room, and health club.
Musical Events and Celebrity Shows
Thunder Valley Casino Resort hosts a number of concerts and shows in the summertime in their outdoor amphitheater. Some past and scheduled appearances include- The Beach Boys
- Creedence
- The Fray
- Jay Leno
- Joan Jett
- Lionel Richie
- Melissa Etheridge
- Rick Springfield
- Tesla
- Train (7/24)
- The Doobie Brothers (8/5)
- Peter Frampton (8/6)
- Huey Lewis (8/12)
- Gabriel Iglesias (8/20)
- Lynyrd Skynyrd (9/22)
Awards
Thunder Valley Casino Resort will receive for the year 2012 AAA’sAAA
AAA, or Triple-A, may be a three-letter acronym or may just mean something that is high-quality, premier, or excellent.As a proper noun, Aaa is found only in the species name Cavaticovelia aaa , an insect from Hawaii....
prestigious Four Diamond Award. AAA is only one of two rating entities to conduct unscheduled, anonymous, on-site evaluations. AAA rates establishments on a One to Five Diamonds scale according to lodging and restaurant-published guidelines for facilities, amenities and service. Out of the 59,000 properties that are AAA diamond-rated, only 3.6 percent have received a Four Diamond rating.
Philanthropy
Using the revenue generated from Thunder Valley, the UAIC gives about $1 million annually to nonprofit groups in Placer County. Some beneficiaries of ongoing and previous donations include the Lighthouse Counseling & Family Resource Center, Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Foundation, and Foothill Volunteer Center.In January 2005, the UAIC donated $250,000 to assist Habitat for Humanity International's
Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat For Humanity International , generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat, is an international, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing, a self-described "Christian housing ministry." The international...
(HFHI) relief efforts in southern Asia following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
In January 2010, the UAIC donated $50,000 to Partners in Health
Partners In Health
Partners In Health is a Boston, Massachusetts-based non-profit health care organization dedicated to providing a "preferential option for the poor". It was founded in 1987 by Dr. Paul Farmer, Ophelia Dahl, Thomas J. White, Todd McCormack, and Dr...
for their efforts in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
aftermath.
In February 2011, the UAIC announced an allocation of $500,000 to its community fund for 2011, to be donated to nonprofit organizations in Placer County.
The UAIC’s Community Giving Program has provided over $8.6 million to nonprofit organizations supporting needs in education, health, arts and humanities, the environment, community development and social services.