Land-Based Casinos In California
For California natives, there is more than one way to gamble. Indeed, online gaming is increasingly popular among residents of California, yet more traditional, land-based casinos are also enduring in their popularity. Land-based casinos in California are numerous, and they offer myriad opportunities for the state's gambling enthusiasts to enjoy their favorite games—safely and legally! This page will offer some general information about the legal, land-based casinos that California natives have to choose from.
Regulated Casinos For California Residents + Visitors
The first thing to note about the casino options that California offers is that there are basically two varieties of legal, land-based casino facility. Some of California's casinos are better understood as card rooms—smaller facilities that offer plenty of chances to play poker, but which do not offer the full casino experience that many players may prefer. Then, there are the full-fledged casinos, which offer more robust gaming options.
California offers plenty of examples in both categories. Its several full-fledged casinos are Native American casinos, and they are located in various places throughout the state. Indeed, California gaming buffs can find legal, land-based casinos in Redwood Valley, San Jacinto, Alpine, Redding, and several other noteworthy cities. As for card rooms, you can find them even in bustling metropolises like Los Angeles, as well as in smaller cities and towns.
The legal, land-based casinos that are open to California residents vary in size and in the number of games offered. Pechanga Resort and Casino, located in Temecula, is the largest casino in the state, offering close to 5,000 slot machines, 132 table games, and 54 poker tables in its poker room—to say nothing of its ten dining venues and its massive hotel and showroom facilities!
Other large establishments that offer casino gaming in California include the Cache Creek Casio Resort, San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, Thunder Valley Casino, and many others. These casinos offer mixes of table games, slots, bingo, and other forms of entertainment.
The Online Advantage
While legal, land-based casinos are common in California, many California residents will likely find that their preference is for online gaming. There are many reasons for this, but one of the foremost reasons is simply that online gaming is more convenient. Rather than venture to a casino, players can go online and play from the comfort of their own home. Legal land-based California casinos are common, then, but online gaming may be the ideal way for California residents to enjoy their favorite games!
Types Of Land Based Gambling In California
There are two major ways to gamble at land-based locations in CA. First, you can visit a card room, where you are able to play poker against other players, with no house fee, as such fees are outlawed in CA. Second, you can visit a tribal casino, which offers slot machine gameplay as well as other traditional casino games. These tribal casinos are allowed to offer far more games than any non-tribal option in the state, given their compacts with the state of CA.
How Many Casinos Are There In California?
The California gaming industry is a bit difficult to gauge, as there are a large amount of casinos in the state that are tribally regulated, and then there are also card rooms in CA that are regulated by the state. As of 2022, we have found 65 tribal casinos in operation, with a further 88 card rooms available in CA. Several of these card rooms appear to be located at or near casinos as well.
How Much Can California’s Land Based Gambling Industry Expand?
California’s land based gambling industry has some serious roadblocks in the way of expansion. The state itself only regulates cardrooms, and those have had a moratorium on them since the mid 1990s, which means that they do not issue new card room licenses, and only the ones out there currently are available to card room operators. In other words, if you didn’t have a license already, you’re unlikely to get one. As far as the tribal casinos, those are limited by the number of tribes in the state that have a deal with the CA government to operate one. These roadblocks limit the amount of growth the land based California gambling sector can have.
Casinos With The Most Slots In CA
Yaamava' Resort Casino (777 San Manuel Blvd, Highland, CA 92346) - Yaamava’ Resort Casino features a whopping 6,400 slot machines, the most in the state. It also contains a massive poker room that features 38 tables. Amenities are easy to come by, with the resort part of the casino’s name coming in handy - it contains restaurants, a hotel, and multiple bars.
Pechanga Resort And Casino (45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592) - Pechanga Resort and Casino offers 5,000 slot machines, so you’ll never have to wait in line to play at the Pechanga. They’re most famous for their golf course, which is one of the best in the world, but they also feature a 38 table poker room and more than 150 table games. Their amenities are top-notch, even compared to other casino/hotels, with restaurants, bars, pools, spas and more!
Morongo Casino Resort And Spa (49750 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, California 92230) - The Morongo Casino Resort And Spa features 4,000 slot machines in their 148,000 square foot complex. Their spa is obviously a big draw as well, given the name, although they do not place much of a focus on table games and poker offerings, having less than half of each compared to the Pechanga and the Yaamava’.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort (1200 Athens Avenue, Lincoln, CA 95648) - Thunder Valley Casino Resort features 3,400 slot machine games, and distinguishes itself via its 5,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. It’s a remarkable casino, and it’s location near Sacramento makes it a popular destination for gamblers in the northern part of California.
Cache Creek Casino Resort (14455 CA-16, Brooks, California 95606) - Cache Creek Casino Resort offers 2,700 slot machines, and is located in a 74,720 square foot complex - approximately the size of an enormous mansion, or a larger Wal-Mart. Cache Creek is another major NorCal casino, located west of Sacramento, and features two hotels along with nearly a dozen restaurants
Best Online Casinos For California Residents
Tribal Casinos In California
Tribal casinos are permitted to operate in California. These casinos operate all across the state, and each of them provides casino services to CA’s bettors. Each of these casinos is operated by a Native American tribe, due to various compacts negotiated between the tribes and the state of California. California’s tribal casino industry is hugely profitable, bringing in more than $8 billion annually.
| Tribal Casino: | CA City: | CA County: |
|---|---|---|
| Agua Caliente Casino | Rancho Mirage | Riverside |
| Augustine Casino | Rancho Mirage | Riverside |
| Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino | Lakeside | San Diego |
| Bear River Casino | Loleta | Humboldt |
| Black Bart Casino | Willits | Mendocino |
| Black Oak Casino | Tuolumne | Tuolumne |
| Blue Lake Casino | Blue Lake | Humboldt |
| Cache Creek Casino Resort | Brooks | Yolo |
| Cahuilla Creek Casino | Anza | Riverside |
| Casino Pauma | Pauma Valley | San Diego |
| Cher-Ae Heights Bingo and Casino | Trinidad | Humboldt |
| Chicken Ranch Bingo and Casino | Jamestown | Tuolumne |
| Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino | Coarsegold | Madera |
| Chumash Casino Resort | Santa Ynez | Santa Barbara |
| Colusa Casino Resort | Colusa | Colusa |
| Desert Rose Casino | Alturas | Modoc |
| Diamond Mountain Casino | Susanville | Lassen |
| Eagle Mountain Casino | Porterville | Tulare |
| Elk Valley Casino | Crescent City | Del Norte |
| Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino | Indio | Riverside |
| Feather Falls Casino | Oroville | Butte |
| Gold Country Casino and Hotel | Oroville | Butte |
| Golden Acorn Casino | Campo | San Diego |
| Graton Resort & Casino | Rohnert Park | Sonoma |
| Hard Rock Hotel & Casino | Wheatland | Yuba |
| Harrah's Northern California | Ione | Amador |
| Harrah's Resort Southern California | Valley Center | San Diego |
| Havasu Landing Resort and Casino | Havasu Lake | San Bernardino |
| Jackson Rancheria Casino | Jackson | Amador |
| Jamul Casino | Jamul | San Diego |
| Konocti Vista Casino and Bingo | Finley | Lake |
| Lucky 7 Casino | Smith River | Del Norte |
| Lucky Bear Casino | Hoopa | Humboldt |
| Mono Wind Casino | Auberry | Fresno |
| Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa | Cabazon | Riverside |
| Paiute Palace Casino | Bishop | Inyo |
| Pala Casino Resort and Spa | Pala | San Diego |
| Pechanga Resort and Casino | Temecula | Riverside |
| Pit River Casino | Burney | Shasta |
| Quechan Resort Casino | Winterhaven | Imperial |
| Rain Rock Casino | Yreka | Siskiyou |
| Red Earth Casino | Salton City | Imperial |
| Red Fox Casino | Laytonville | Mendocino |
| Redhawk Casino | Shingle Springs | El Dorado |
| River Rock Casino | Geyserville | Sonoma |
| Robinson Rancheria Resort and Casino | Nice | Lake |
| Rolling Hills Casino | Corning | Tehama |
| Yaamava Resort & Casino | Highland | San Bernardino |
| San Pablo Lytton Casino | San Pablo | Contra Costa |
| Santa Ysabel Resort and Casino | Santa Ysabel | San Diego |
| Shodokai Casino | Redwood Valley | Mendocino |
| Sho-Ka-Wah Casino | Hopland | Mendocino |
| Soboba Casino Resort | San Jacinto | Riverside |
| Aqua Caliente Casino Palm Springs | Palm Springs | Riverside |
| Spotlight 29 Casino | Coachella | Riverside |
| Sycuan Resort and Casino | El Cajon | San Diego |
| Table Mountain Casino | Friant | Fresno |
| Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino | Lemoore | Kings |
| Thunder Valley Casino Resort | Lincoln | Placer |
| Torres Martinez Casino | Salton City | Imperial |
| Tortoise Rock Casino | Twentynine Palms | San Bernardino |
| Twin Pine Casino | Middletown | Lake |
| Valley View Casino | Valley Center | San Diego |
| Viejas Casino | Alpine | San Diego |
| Win-River Casino | Redding | Shasta |
Card Rooms In California
| Card Room: | CA City: | CA County: |
|---|---|---|
| The 101 Casino | Petaluma | Sonoma |
| The 500 Club | Clovis | Fresno |
| Artichoke Joe's Casino | San Bruno | San Mateo |
| The Aviator Casino | Delano | Kern |
| Bankers Casino | Salinas | Monterey |
| Bay 101 | San Jose | Santa Clara |
| The Bicycle Casino | Bell Gardens | Los Angeles |
| Black Sheep Casino | Cameron Park | El Dorado |
| Brooks Oceana Cardroom | Oceano | San Luis Obispo |
| Bruce's Bar and Casino | Blythe | Riverside |
| California Grand Casino | Pacheco | Contra Costa |
| Cameo Club | Stockton | San Joaquin |
| Capitol Casino | Sacramento | Sacramento |
| Casino Club | Redding | Shasta |
| Casino M8trix | San Jose | Santa Clara |
| Casino Marysville | Marysville | Yuba |
| Casino Real | Manteca | San Joaquin |
| Central Coast Casino | Grover Beach | San Luis Obispo |
| Central Coast Casino | Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo |
| Cesar's Club | Watsonville | Santa Cruz |
| Club One Casino | Fresno | Fresno |
| Club San Rafael | San Rafael | Marin |
| Commerce Casino | Commerce | Los Angeles |
| Comstock Card Room | Tracy | San Joaquin |
| Crystal Casino and Hotel | Compton | Los Angeles |
| Delta Club Cardroom | Stockton | San Joaquin |
| Deuces Wild Casino | Auburn | Placer |
| Diamond Jim's Casino | Rosamond | Kern |
| Don Juan Club and Casino | Rancho Cordova | Sacramento |
| El Resbalon | Woodlake | Tulare |
| Empire Sportsmen's Association | Modesto | Stanislaus |
| Garlic City Club | Gilroy | Santa Clara |
| Gloria's Lounge and Casino | Visalia | Tulare |
| Golden State Casino | Marysville | Yuba |
| Golden West Casino | Bakersfield | Kern |
| Hawaiian Gardens Casino | Hawaiian Gardens | Los Angeles |
| Hollywood Park Casino | Inglewood | Los Angeles |
| Hotel Del Rio & Casino | Isleton | Sacramento |
| Hustler Casino | Gardena | Los Angeles |
| Jalisco Pool Room | Guadalupe | Santa Barbara |
| Kelly's Cardroom | Antioch | Contra Costa |
| Kings Cardroom | Stockton | San Joaquin |
| Klondike Casino | Eureka | Humboldt |
| La Fuerza | Woodlake | Tulare |
| Lake Bowl Cardroom | Folsom | Sacramento |
| Lake Elsinore Hotel & Casino | Lake Elsinore | Riverside |
| Limelight Cardroom | Sacramento | Sacramento |
| Livermore Saloon & Casino | Livermore | Alameda |
| Lucky Buck Card Club | Livermore | Alameda |
| Lucky Chances Casino | Colma | San Mateo |
| Lucky Derby Casino | Citrus Heights | Sacramento |
| Lucky Lady Card Room | San Diego | San Diego |
| Marina Club | Marina | Monterey |
| Merced Poker Room | Merced | Merced |
| Mike's Card Casino | Oakdale | Stanislaus |
| The Mint | Porterville | Tulare |
| Mortimer's Card Room | Marina | Monterey |
| Napa Valley Casino | American Canyon | Napa |
| Nineteenth Hole | Antioch | Contra Costa |
| Normandie Club | Gardena | Los Angeles |
| Oaks Card Club | Emeryville | Alameda |
| Oasis Card Room | Ridgecrest | Kern |
| Ocean's Eleven Casino | Oceanside | San Diego |
| Ocean View Cardroom | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz |
| Old Cayucos Tavern | Cayucos | San Luis Obispo |
| Outlaws Card Parlour | Atascadero | San Luis Obispo |
| Palace Card Club | Hayward | Alameda |
| Palomar Card Club | San Diego | San Diego |
| Paso Robles Casino | Paso Robles | San Luis Obispo |
| Pastime Club | Benicia | Solano |
| Pastime Club | Citrus Heights | Sacramento |
| The Players Club | Ventura | Ventura |
| Poker Flats Casino | Merced | Merced |
| Rancho's Club Casino | Rancho Cordova | Sacramento |
| River Card Room | Petaluma | Sonoma |
| Rogelio's | Isleton | Sacramento |
| Royal Flush Casino | Lemoore | Kings |
| S & K Card Room | Eureka | Humboldt |
| Silver Fox Card Room | Sacramento | Sacramento |
| St. Charles Place | Downieville | Sierra |
| Stones Gambling Hall | Citrus Heights | Sacramento |
| Sundowner Cardroom | Visalia | Tulare |
| Tommy's Casino & Saloon | El Centro | Imperial |
| Towers Casino | Grass Valley | Nevada |
| Turlock Poker Room | Turlock | Stanislaus |
| Ven-A-Mexico | Soledad | Monterey |
| Village Club Casino | Chula Vista | San Diego |
| Wine Country Casino and Restaurant | Lodi | San Joaquin |
Casinos Near San Diego
San Diego is a big city, close to the CA/Mexico border, and features an enormous array of casinos in the near vicinity. Unlike LA, there are a ton of casinos that are very close to San Diego proper. Below are the casinos that exist in San Diego county, as they are the most accessible from San Diego.
Barona Resort & Casino
(619) 443-2300
1932 Wildcat Canyon Rd., Lakeside, CA 92040
Casino Pauma
(760) 742-2177
777 Pauma Reservation Rd., Pauma Valley, California 92061
Golden Acorn Casino
(619) 938-6000
1800 Golden Acorn Way, Campo, CA 91906
Harrah's Resort Southern California
(760) 751-3100
777 Harrah's Rincon Way, Valley Center, CA 92082
Jamul Casino
(619) 315-2250
14145 Campo Rd., Jamul, CA 91935
La Jolla Trading Post & Casino
(760) 742-0460
22003 Highway 76 ,Pauma Valley, CA 92061
Pala Casino Spa Resort
(760) 510-5100
11154 Highway 76, Pala, California 92059
Sycuan Casino
(619) 445-6002
5485 Casino Way, El Cajon, California 92019
Valley View Casino
(760) 291-5500
16300 Nyemii Pass Rd., Valley Center, California 92082
Viejas Casino
(619) 445-5400
5000 Willows Rd., Alpine, California 91901
Casinos Near Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a major population center in CA, and casinos circle the surrounding area. The below casinos can all be found in Riverside County, not far from L.A.. This makes these casinos the primary options for those that live in and near Los Angeles, whether that be in the suburbs or an hour or so away from the city.
Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City
888-999-1995
68960 E Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs
(760) 323-5865
140 North Indian Casino Canyon Dr.,Palm Springs, CA 92262
Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage
(760) 321-2000
32-250 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Augustine Casino
760-391-9500
84-001 Avenue 54, Coachella, CA 92236
Cahuilla Casino
(909) 763-1200
52702 Highway 371, Anza, California 92539
Fantasy Springs Casino
(760) 342-5000
84-245 Indio Springs Pkwy., Indio, California 92203
Morongo Casino Resort And Spa
(909) 849-3080
49750 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, California 92230
Pechanga Resort & Casino
(877) 711-2946
45000 Pala Road ,Temecula, California 92592
Soboba Casino
(866) 476-2622
23333 Soboba Rd., San Jacinto, California 92581
Spotlight 29 Casino
(760) 775-5566
46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella, California, 92236
Casinos Near San Bernardino
San Bernardino contains a decently sized population, and the county features three casinos, one of which - the Yaamava’ Resort Casino - contains the most slot machines of any California casino. These casinos also serve the Los Angeles area, but more on the north-west side of town.
Havasu Landing Resort & Casino
(800) 307-3610
1 Main Street, Havasu Lake, California 92363
Tortoise Rock Casino
(866) 377-6829
73829 Base Line Rd.,Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Yaamava' Resort Casino
(909) 864-5050
5797 North Victoria Avenue, Highland, California 92346