A Central California casino closed after many gamblers were induced by an armed confrontation between tribal factions to flee with their belongings left at the door. Ultimately the threat of death and serious grew to be too much for The National Indian Gaming Commission, and the casino was soon slotted for closing.

A faction which was forced from the casino to a bordering tribal company centre in August made an appearance a few days before. In line with the gambling commission, no single one of the factions were terribly receptive to leaving the area as time dragged on. John Anderson, a sheriff in the Madera area, said that about 500 individuals Thursday night fled the casino. Calls for assistance were left unanswered, and he soon lost hope.

A meeting, then, seemed to occur between the resistance forces in the area, and the local police force. Though unfruitful, they were at the very least peaceful in nature. Tensions are high, and the threat of further violence has been lingering in the minds of all of those involved. As a result, security has been tightened up full stop, around the area and its vicinity.

The gambling commission had said it’d shut the casino in the event the tribe did not supply audits and other fiscal records by Oct. 27. One audit is late by around 18 months. The ousted factions would also have a voice on the matter, in the form of their treasurer Vernon King, stating that its intentions were misunderstood, and that these machinations were simply an effort to build against an eventual breakdown of the casino system in the region.

Negotiations had been going on for months, with serious offers being put on the table by the attorneys of the casino. Interest, however, was limited and waned rather quickly.