The Garcia River Casino has 200 slot machines in its distinctive red building operated by the 1,200-member Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians.

 A red, barn-like structure filled with slot machines has opened for customers on the remote Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria, bucking the recession that has slowed the growth of tribal casinos on the North Coast.

Arranging financing for the Garcia River Casino, which opened quietly April 16, was a challenge, conceded Nelson Pinola, chairman of the 1,200-member Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians.

The project was funded by two other gaming tribes, which Pinola declined to name. He said the tribe has not publicized the opening of the 10,000-square-foot casino because it's geared toward the local, coastal market.

“We're not going to be competing with large markets,” he said.

The opening brings the number of gaming facilities in Mendocino County to six, with at least one more in the planning stage. But Garcia River Casino is the only one on the coast. The others are in Redwood Valley, Hopland, Willits, Laytonville and Covelo.

Sonoma County has one casino, River Rock Casino near Geyserville, and Lake County has three. Additional casinos are planned in all three counties.
But many projects have been delayed by funding shortages while existing casinos have experienced revenue declines.

Pinola said his tribe's project succeeded by being conservative in expectations and scope.

It has 200 slot machines in its 4,800-square-foot gaming area, said Pinola, who, like most of the tribe's members, lives in Sonoma County. About 350 tribal members live on or near the reservation, which is located north of Point Arena, about a 90-mile drive from Santa Rosa.

There are no table games in the casino at this time, he said. “It doesn't pencil out.”
 
The casino also includes a performance stage and a grill that serves hamburgers, sandwiches, soup, prime rib and chicken.
The steel-clad building is equipped with backup generators that will allow it to serve as a community gathering place during emergencies, Pinola said.
It employs about 100 people, making it a major employer on Mendocino County's south coast.

“It was cool to see so many of our friends having fun — and working,” said Point Arena Mayor Lauren Sinnott, who attended the opening.
The casino was built to look like a barn so that it would blend in, Pinola said. The architects spent weeks driving the coast to get a feel for the place, he said.
“We did not want something that might have been picked up in Las Vegas and scaled down,” Pinola said.

[END_CREDIT_0]You can reach Staff Writer Glenda Anderson at 462-6473 or