Former Epoch Casino Building Near Sacramento Damaged in Two-Alarm Fire

^{The blaze at the site of the former Epoch Casino in Rancho Cordova, California. (Photo: Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District / Facebook)}

Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the site of the former Epoch Casino in Rancho Cordova near Sacramento early on Monday morning, prompting authorities to initiate an arson investigation.

According to officials from The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, firefighters were able to search the structure and confirm that no one was inside at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.

Fire Started Outside Card Room, Spread to Attic

The two-story building was boarded up and vacant at the time of the fire, but was previously the home of Epoch Casino, a shuttered card room with 13 gaming tables. That facility closed in September 2024 after about a year in operation, ending a short run for the building that had previously housed the Magnolia House Casino.

Firefighters responded to reports of a fire just after 2:30 am local time. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Captain Mark Nunez said that when crews arrived, they found that the fire had begun outside the building but had spread into the building’s attic.

Folsom Boulevard was closed through much of Monday morning while fire crews checked for hot spots. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, though fire officials suspect it may be a potential case of arson.

When the facility closed last September, the owners of Epoch Casino posted a message thanking their customers for supporting the card room.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announced the temporary closure of Epoch Casino and Restaurant due to the many challenges we have experienced over the past year,” the statement read. “We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from our patrons, employees, and partners during these difficult times. Your dedication and loyalty have meant the world to us.”

Card Rooms, Tribes at Odds Over California Gaming Law

The closure and the fire come amid escalating tensions between California’s card rooms and the state’s tribal casinos.

Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act into law, giving tribes a one-time opportunity to sue card rooms over their offering of table games like blackjack. Several tribes took that opportunity early this year, claiming that the card rooms are encroaching on the tribes’ exclusive right to banked table games in the state. However, many of the card room operators argued that their player-banked variants are legal under state law.

While those lawsuits were rejected by a California judge who ruled that such disputes should be settled under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the battle is far from over. Tribes are now hoping for help from California officials, with the state’s Department of Justice proposing new regulations that would ban blackjack-style games at card rooms in their entirety.