A compact that spells out the rules for a 305-acre tribal casino and resort project by the North Fork Mono Rancheria Indians along Highway 99 near Madera was approved Thursday by the California Senate.

Senate support now leaves the governor, who already supports the tribal compact, and the U.S. Department of Interior in Washington, D.C., as the last two steps before groundbreaking near Highway 99 and Avenue 18.

But lawsuits by some Madera residents, as well as several tribes, including the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, also are looming.

The Senate vote Thursday was 22-11.

Station Casinos, a major Las Vegas developer, is poised to build the Madera tribal casino. It is proposed to have 50 gaming tables and 2,000 slot machines, and would cost more than $200 million to build.

Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown gave his backing to the casino and resort 36 miles away from the tribe’s land. The casino project is controversial because it’s not on the North Fork Mono Indians’ rancheria and is among a handful in the country to gain such approval.

Jacob Applesmith, senior adviser to Brown, said the approved Senate bill will get signed by the governor within a couple weeks and forwarded to the federal Department of the Interior.

The federal agency will take up the bill early next year. It’s likely to come up for approval in February, Applesmith said. You can read more on the new tribal casino at the Fresno Bee.