Neighbors benefit from Chukchansi's closure, but for how long?

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The drama at Chukchansi casino is spilling over to neighboring towns, but not in the way you might think.

Employees trickled in and out of the Chukchansi Resort and Casino Thursday; some actually reporting for cleaning and maintenance duty, others to pick up their belongings now that they know their jobs are lost.

"I've filed for unemployment and I've been looking around for other jobs," said Samatha Espinoza.

Still-flowing water fountains at the front entrance give the appearance of business as usual, but cement blockades are not the first hint at the relative silence inside.

The sign at Chukchansi's entrance says to turn around, but once drivers do they're creating unintended consequences just four miles down the road.

"More people are stopping by, checking out the small restaurant we have and some of the shops," said Andrew Matz, who works at Coarsegold's Historic Village.

Coarsegold is picking up extra business from visitors and locals. The historic village is just a little busier than normal, and it was flush with people for last weekend's tarantula festival. The question is whether the uptick is sustainable in the absence of the "temporarily closed" tourist magnet.

"It's one of those things where right now we're all doing a little bit better economically, just the businesses, but in the long run it's going to hurt everyone," said Diane Boland, the owner of Coarsegold Historic Village.

For now, the duration of the closure is still unknown and poker chips and slot machine payouts remain worthless.

Tribal faction leaders say the best case scenario is reopening in two or three weeks, but it could be months. The National Indian Gaming Commission will make the first move. A representative told Action News investigators have received the audit information they need, but as for the next step, they're keeping their cards close to the vest.