“One thing they could’ve done is put a casino next to a hospital,” Virgil joked as his mother headed for the machines. A doctor’s appointment at Kaiser Permanente Promenade next door to Sky River on Promenade Parkway turned into a mid-morning two-fer and a turn at the slots. Perfect, too, for Virgil’s mother, Mabel. They’ve needed something like this and it’s the perfect location.” “This is a happy retirement for me and it’s good for the community. “I’ve been looking forward to it,” he said Tuesday morning. The Bay Area Rapid Transit control center manager is retiring next month after 21 years on the job and he’d been watching for news on its opening. The casino’s president and chief operating officer has seen Sky River’s nearly 18-month rise from the site of Elk Grove’s infamous “ghost mall” to a splashy new entrant on the Sacramento region’s competitive tribal gaming landscape.įor Robert Virgil of Elk Grove, the new casino’s debut was well-timed. “When you walk through it’s a very impressive place, it’s a beautiful place that’s been built,” Chris Gibase said Monday afternoon.

Monday, the Wilton Rancheria and Sky River made it official, opening its doors to its first guests. We normally go to Hard Rock (Hotel and Casino in Wheatland) or Thunder Valley,” Lisa Gurule said. There’s entertainment, fun, places to eat.

The Gurules live in east Elk Grove, a short drive from the casino, the people Sky River hopes to lure from the casinos in Lincoln, Wheatland and Shingle Springs. The $500 million Elk Grove attraction 15 minutes south of Sacramento is open for business and Lisa and Chris Gurule were ready. Hours after its late-night grand opening, hundreds flooded Wilton Rancheria’s Sky River Casino in Elk Grove Tuesday morning, crowding card tables, grabbing seats at the slots and lining up dozens deep to sign up for the casino’s rewards cards.

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