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Crowds wait for Graton Resort and Casino to open in Rohnert Park, California, on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. (Photo: San Francisco Chronicle)

It was anticipated that the opening of the big Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park in November might hurt other Indian gaming halls in Sonoma County and beyond. But the impact the facility is having on smaller casinos is going well beyond what anyone expected, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.

The new competition is hitting the River Rock Casino in Geyserville particularly hard. There, the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians have seen revenues fall between 30 and 45 percent, tribal leaders told the newspaper, prompting drastic cuts to staff.

River Rock, which once had more than 600 employees, has lost roughly 100 workers, many going to the larger, fancier Graton Casino down the road — and Dry Creek Rancheria chairman Harvey Hopkins said he’s considering letting those vacancies stay empty.

The tribal office, which handles things like public works and financial affairs, is in a similar predicament. While it once had nearly 60 employees, “We’ve reduced staff down to a half-dozen people, maybe a little bit more,” Hopkins told the Press Democrat.

Dealer Lisa Kangas, deals a game of “Twenty-One” at the River Rock Casino in Geyserville. (Photo: San Francisco Chonicle)

The revenue dip is also hitting tribal families, who receive payments from casino profits. Members of the tribe over the age of 18 — all 640 of them — have seen monthly payments cut in half, from $600 to $300.

The reasons for the turn in fortune are many. Where the River Rock Casino sits off of a winding, two-lane road overlooking the Alexander Valley, the Graton resort is located just off of busy Highway 101 in Rohnert Park, much closer to population centers and groups of potential gamblers.

The 340,000-square-foot Graton casino, which cost $800 million to build, was intended to handle much larger crowds than River Rock, which covers about 61,000 square feet and has about 1,200 slots. But perhaps the biggest discrepancy between the dueling casinos is their ability to market themselves through television spots and other advertising.