It could take several years before the Wilton Rancheria opens a casino in northern California.

The tribe is in the early stages of its land-into-trust application. The Bureau of Indian Affairs published a scoping report for the environmental impact statement in February but there's no timeline for a decision.

“All along the way the public will be able to give their input,” Chairman Raymond Hitchcock told Fox News.

The tribe's federal recognition was reaffirmed in 2009. Presumably, that makes the tribe eligible for an exception in Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that applies to newly recognized tribes.

Other newly recognized tribes have waited 10 years or more to open their casinos.

Source: Indianz.com Indian Gaming