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ELK GROVE — It has been just more than six months since the Sky River Casino opened in Elk Grove, and after early success, it is already looking to expand.
The casino confirmed the expansion with CBS13 and said that this had been the plan all along.
"It would be nice to see a new hotel," said Venicia Platt who was out at the casino on Friday.
A hotel or more places to eat and drink are all on the table as part of the expansion, and people are hopeful for some other possibilities.
"You know I'd like to see some entertainment like the competition, Thunder Valley," said Phillip Amaro who was at the casino on Friday night.
"Maybe if there were other things to do, so people who are with them could be entertained while people are gambling," said Platt. "That would probably be good as well."
Some Elk Grove locals have enjoyed seeing more people flock to the area.
"It is kind of cool to see a little something different in Elk Grove," said local Joshua Sanchez. "We never had anything like that."
"Where it simply would take 8-10 minutes, it is now taking anywhere from 15-25 minutes to get to and from places," said Selena Lomba who lives in the neighborhood near the casino.
Lomba, who has three kids of her own, also has some safety concerns as she has heard of more activity in the area.
"It has kind of turned into a bigger town versus the small town it was before," Lomba said.
Elk Grove police told CBS13 the casino has had issues from time to time, but they work closely with security staff and the Wilton Rancheria.
"It is pretty. It is clean. It is a nice casino," said Platt.
Sky River Casino has proven to be a big winner for the Wilton Rancheria Tribe. It brought in $21 million in management fees in the fourth quarter of 2022.
