Morongo Casino
Specialties: An enticing oasis sprawled across 44 scenic acres at the foothills of California's brilliant San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is the crown jewel of Cabazon. Offering premier Las Vegas-style. On I-10 a few miles north of Palm Springs turnoff. Take exit #104 off I-10 and take the frontage road East. Follow the signs for the Semi-Truck and RV Parking lots, which are located behind the Morongo Bowling Alley and Bingo Hall (old casino). Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa has recently completed major renovations on its casino floor, with plans to start work on remodeling 310 of its hotel suites. (File photo by David Bauman, The Press.
| Morongo Casino Resort and Spa | |
|---|---|
| Address | 49500 Seminole Drive Cabazon, California 92230-2200 |
| Opening date | December 10, 2004[1] |
| Theme | 1960s |
| No. of rooms | 310 |
| Total gaming space | 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) |
| Signature attractions |
|
| Notable restaurants |
|
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians |
| Website | www.morongocasinoresort.com |
Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is an Indian gaming casino, of the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, located in Cabazon, California, United States, near San Gorgonio Pass. The casino has 310 rooms and suites. A 44-acre (180,000 m2), 27-story resort, Morongo is one of the largest casinos in California. At 330 feet (101 m) high, the casino tower is the tallest building in both Riverside County and the larger Inland Empire region.[2]
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History[edit]
On February 25, 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that neither the state of California nor Riverside County could regulate the bingo and card game operations of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians set in motion a series of federal and state actions-including two ballot propositions-that dramatically expanded tribal casino operations in California and other states.[3] In 1995, a new building was constructed for the bingo and card games, and slot machines were introduced. The new casino was called Casino Morongo and included a dance hall, bowling alley, and diner.[4]
California Proposition 1A, also known as the Gambling on Tribal Lands Amendment, was on the March 7, 2000, ballot in California, where it was approved with a 64% win. It authorized the governor to negotiate compacts with federally recognized Indian tribes on Indian lands in California to operate slot machines, lotteries and banking and percentage card games, subject to legislative ratification.[5]
The Jerde Partnership announced the official groundbreaking for the Morongo Hotel on May 28, 2003. Perini Building Company topped-out the resort on March 31, 2004. The $250-million Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, which opened on December 10, 2004, is one of the largest tribal gaming facilities in the nation.[6] Casino Morongo closed for gaming in 2004, and reopened in 2018 as a separate casino due to an expansion project at the larger casino, displacing 300 slot machines.[7]
Facilities[edit]
Morongo is one of only six AAA four-diamond casino resorts in California, with Barona Casino, Viejas Casino, Pechanga Resort and Casino, Thunder Valley Casino Resort and the Chumash Casino Resort being the others. Morongo's main casino floor is 148,000 square feet (14,000 m2) with over 2,000 slots and table games.
Upon entering the casino, guests see a contemporary, retro-1960s interior. Light coves between overhead vaults, back-lit fabric draped between frames, and conically shaped light fixtures create a complex, ornate ceiling above the casino floor.
The casino offers more than a hundred table games, including four-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'Em, Mystery Card Roulette, blackjack, pai gow poker, mini-baccarat, and three card poker, as well as a 22-table poker room. High rollers can use a high-limit slot area with four table games and seven slots. The high-limit room also has a lounge with plasma TVs and complimentary food.
Morongo's hotel accommodates guests in 272 standard rooms, 32 double-bay suites, and six casitas, the latter of which are located on an upper level surrounding the pool.
Morongo's restaurants include the penthouse restaurant Cielo, Serrano (24-Hour Cafe), Tacos & Tequila, Sunset Bar & Grill, Natural 9 Noodle Company, and the Potrero Canyon Buffet, as well as a food court.
Guests must be 18 or older to gamble on the property.[8]
Sports[edit]
Boxing[edit]
Boxing cards are held at Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa.[9][10]
MMA[edit]
Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa hosts MMA fight cards at the Morongo Outdoor Pavilion.[11][12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Hugo Martin (2004-12-10). 'Tribe Unveils Its Casino Royale'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
- ^Emporis GmbH. 'Morongo Casino Resort Hotel, Cabazon, U.S.A.' Emporis.com. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ^'California Tribal Casinos: Questions and Answers'. lao.ca.gov. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^https://www.pe.com/2018/11/26/the-original-casino-morongo-is-back-in-action/
- ^'California Proposition 1A, Gambling on Tribal Lands (2000)'. ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2011-06-03. Retrieved 2014-09-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^https://www.pe.com/2018/11/26/the-original-casino-morongo-is-back-in-action/
- ^'Guest Services Morongo Casino Resort & Spa'. Retrieved 2015-01-24.
- ^'Morongo casino hosts boxing card'. casinocitytimes.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^'Morongo Casino hosts Showtime boxing card Friday'. desertsun.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^'Legacy Fighting Alliance 36 (LFA 36)'. mixedmartialarts.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
- ^'Legacy LFA 45: Silva vs. Barnes'. tapology.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
Morongo Casino Resort And Spa
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 33°55′12″N116°47′42″W / 33.9200°N 116.7950°W
Morongo Casino Reopening
Nine weeks after it was shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa reopened Friday, drawing in guests who were eager to enjoy the casino again.
Visitors formed a long line leading out casino doors as they waited to get inside, where they found several changes. Visitors like Becky Adler drove in from Santa Clarita the night before just to get out of the house after two months stuck inside.
'I got my mask. I've got my hand sanitizer. I'm okay, I'm not scared. I think it is going to be okay,' Adler said.
The casino is an economic powerhouse for the greater Riverside County region, generating an estimated $3 billion dollars annually. In order to reopen, the casino put in place several safety measures to ensure the safety of its staff and guests.
'When you come in, the experience it going to be a little bit different. So, when the guest first arrives we are requiring masks. Above and beyond that when guests enter they will be subject to temperature checks. We want to make sure everyone is symptom free when they come in,' said Simon Farmer, marketing director for the casino.
Once inside, guests were met with the casino's latest additions: plexiglass dividers between slot machines and playing tables, along with a recently expanded 65,000 square-foot gaming floor. Limited seating and markings on the floor helped visitors maintain their physical distance from others.
But while much of the casino is reopen for business, the buffets, concerts and pools will take a little longer to be re-introduced.
Morongo Casino Concerts
A handful of other casinos across the region also said they would reopen, including Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella and Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms.