On the West Coast, the federally recognized Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians is considering the possibility of offering off-track betting (OTB) at a satellite wagering facility within its Chumash Casino Resort after updating its Class III gaming compact.

The updated compact was signed by California Governor, Jerry Brown, on Thursday.

According to The Santa Maria Times…

The amendment to the tribe’s 2015 compact was first signed by Governor Brown on August 2. On August 28, it [the amendment] was ratified by the state Legislature when in a 39-0 vote in the Senate it approved Assembly Bill 3262. The following day it was unanimously approved in the Assembly in a 64-0 vote.

The compact will now be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the U.S. Department of the Interior for review and final approval. if approved, the tribe will be able to offer off-track wagering on horse races via a satellite wagering facility at its Santa Ynez casino resort.

Tribal chairman addresses OTB compact:

Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Tribal Chairman, Kenneth Kahn (pictured right) said…

“This amendment to our 2015 Tribal-State Compact will allow us to add off-track wagering to our offering at the Chumash Casino Resort,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“We have no immediate plans to implement OTB, but we are looking at ways we can integrate it into our gaming floor if we choose to offer it as an amenity for guests in the future,” added Kahn.

Testifying before the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on August 22, Kahn reportedly said that just as other tribes had recently done, the Chumash tribe wanted to be approved, via a compact amendment, for off-track wagering.

“When we negotiated our new tribal-state gaming compact in 2015, we left in it a placeholder for a future off-track wagering compact, also called an OTB compact,” the tribal chairman told the committee. “Since that time, other new or renegotiated gaming compacts have included OTB compacts as attachments to their Class III Gaming Compacts.

“Today, we ask you to ratify the first amendment … to add Appendix E … to permit off-track wagering on horse races at a satellite wagering facility on the Santa Ynez Chumash Indian Reservation.”

Property amenities:

Located within its Santa Ynez Reservation on Highway 246, the Chumash Casino Resort boasts a 320 rooms and 58 suite AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel which features a 135-foot tower, as well as a 15,000 square foot rooftop pool deck, spa with private pool area, a mix of dining establishments including the Four Diamond rated Willows restaurant, five bars/lounges, a boutique and sundries shop and the Samala Showroom.

The casino’s 115,000 square feet of gaming offers 2,300 slot machines including a non-smoking slots room, more than 45 Vegas-style table games, a 12-table poker room, a high limit room with both slots and table games and seating for more than 600 bingo players.

The tribe completed its $160 million expansion, which included 75,000 square feet of additional gaming floor space, the new hotel tower and pool deck and a 584-space parking garage in May 2016.