Harrah’s, Tribe Plan $22-Million Casino : Gambling: The project shows mainstream gaming industry’s willingness to venture into reservation partnerships in California.

Following the foray of Caesars World into California Indian gaming, Harrah’s Casinos disclosed Wednesday that it will develop a gambling hall on a reservation in northern San Diego County.

Harrah’s officials and tribal leaders of the Pala band of Mission Indians will formally announce plans today to build a $22-million bingo and card club casino on the Pala reservation, 50 miles north of San Diego and 85 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The announcement reflects a growing willingness of mainstream casinos to join California tribes in bringing a flavor of Las Vegas to the state, rather than resist the spread of gambling to California as a threat to their Nevada business.

The move also reflects efforts by gaming giants to capitalize on reservation gambling in California in the face of resistance to the spread of gambling elsewhere.

“Indian gaming is an attractive area because a lot of jurisdictions voted down gaming (in elections) last month,” Harrah’s spokesman Steve Brewster said. “With Indian gaming, we don’t have to worry about legislative procedures or referendums. We can go in, get the approvals, and we’re there.”

Brewster said the Pala reservation was considered an excellent site to attract day-trippers because of its location on California 76 six miles east of Interstate 15. The San Diego-Riverside thoroughfare carries about 55,000 vehicles a day, he said.

Caesars World announced plans two years ago to develop a $25-million casino on the Agua Caliente Indian reservation in downtown Palm Springs. That project has been stalled by lawsuits.

As is the case with Caesars, Harrah’s--the casino division of the Promus Cos.--said it would not introduce electronic slot machines to California, which are banned by the state but are nonetheless used by a handful of Indian tribes. More than 2,000 electronic slot machines are now available for play on three other San Diego County reservations.

About half of the proposed 61,000-square-foot Pala casino will be dedicated to bingo, table games and pull tabs, Harrah’s said. The facility also will feature a restaurant, lounge and retail shops.

The 900-member Pala band now gets most of its income by leasing land to a sand and gravel company. Tribal secretary Stan McGarr said the gaming facility is expected to generate more than $1 million annually for the tribe.

“We really hope to find economic self-sufficiency through this,” he said.

McGarr said the facility is expected to open in about a year, after approval by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Later this month, Harrah’s will open a casino on the Ak-Chin Indian Reservation outside Phoenix, and has signed agreements to develop Indian casinos in Washington state and in Alabama. The Memphis-based company operates 14 casinos in seven states.