California Governor Signs 25-Year Gaming Compact With Fort Mojave Indian Tribe

The agreement, finalized on July 21, 2026, runs for 25 years and gives the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe authority to run as many as two casinos on eligible trust land in San Bernardino County, complete with a cap of 1,200 slot machines plus other Las Vegas-style games, while the previous revenue-sharing obligation to the state disappears entirely and gets replaced by regulatory cost reimbursement plus a modest local impact mitigation payment only if the total device count exceeds 350.

Observers note that this marks the tribe’s first updated California compact in more than a decade, so the shift in financial terms carries weight for both the tribe and state regulators who track these agreements closely.

Key Terms of the New Compact

The compact authorizes the two facilities yet ties machine counts and game types to the 1,200-slot ceiling, and it eliminates the older revenue split that once directed a portion of gaming proceeds straight to state coffers, according to the governor’s office announcement.

Instead, the tribe now covers the state’s actual regulatory expenses tied to oversight of the operations, and if device totals climb past 350 the tribe adds a small contribution aimed at offsetting local community effects, a structure that keeps payments focused on direct costs rather than broad profit sharing.

Those who have followed similar pacts point out that the 25-year term provides long-term stability for planning and investment, whereas shorter agreements often force renegotiation cycles that can delay expansions or upgrades.

Background and Timing in 2026

July 2026 saw the formal signing, and the document itself appears on the governor’s website alongside the compact PDF, giving the public and stakeholders direct access to the full language that governs the new relationship.

Because this represents the first update in over ten years, the tribe now operates under rules that reflect current market conditions in Southern California without carrying forward the older revenue-sharing model that applied during the previous decade.

State officials handled the approval through standard channels, and the compact took effect once both parties completed the required signatures, allowing the tribe to move forward with site selection and licensing steps on the designated trust land in San Bernardino County.

Changes From Prior Agreements

Earlier versions required revenue sharing with the state, yet the 2026 document removes that clause and substitutes a reimbursement mechanism limited to regulatory costs plus the conditional local mitigation payment, which only triggers above the 350-device threshold.

This adjustment means the tribe retains a larger share of gaming revenue for its own use, while the state still recovers oversight expenses and nearby communities receive targeted support if operations scale beyond the lower threshold.

Compact language also caps total machines at 1,200 across the two locations, so any future growth stays within that defined limit even as the tribe gains flexibility on game mix and facility design.

Regulatory and Local Implications

Regulatory cost reimbursement ensures the state gaming agencies maintain staffing and monitoring resources without relying on profit percentages, and teh impact mitigation contribution provides a predictable, modest stream for local services when device counts rise above 350.

San Bernardino County officials receive notice of these payments when applicable, and the structure keeps contributions tied to actual scale rather than automatic revenue splits that applied under older compacts.

Because the agreement covers a full 25 years, both the tribe and state regulators gain a stable framework for compliance reviews, audits, and any future amendments that might become necessary as technology or market conditions evolve.

Conclusion

The July 21, 2026 signing closes a decade-long gap since the tribe’s last updated compact, and teh new terms authorize up to two casinos with 1,200 slots and Las Vegas-style games on San Bernardino County trust land while shifting from revenue sharing to regulatory cost reimbursement and a conditional local mitigation payment above 350 devices.

Stakeholders now work from a 25-year document that reflects these updated financial and operational parameters, and the public record includes both the announcement and the signed compact PDF for reference.