Page 44 - 2022-2023 Travel Guide to California

KNOW
THE RULES
Just because California has casinos
doesn’t mean games there play the
same way they’d play in Las Vegas or
Atlantic City. Perhaps the biggest
differences: craps and roulette. State
gaming laws expressly prohibit the
outcome of a game to be determined
by dice or a ball. While the games
incorporate traditional elements
of dice and a ball, the games
themselves hinge on overturning
different types of cards.
For novices (or those just looking
for a good time), these differences
are minimal. For hard-core craps and
roulette players, however, they make
the games so foreign that adjusting
becomes tough. Ask the croupier to
review the rules before buying-in. If
a game seems confusing, don’t
bother; there are dozens of other
options throughout the casino.
regions. Wherever you go, bet wisely, and
remember to stay within your means.
San Francisco Bay Area & Beyond
Without question, the Bay Area is the most
exciting region of California for gambling,
with more options than any other part of
the state. It also is home to the largest
casino in Sonomo County: Graton Resort
& Casino.
This attraction, located in Rohnert Park,
is operated by Station Casinos, one of the
largest casino companies in Las Vegas. Bet-
tors cheer the swanky gambling floor,
which boasts a live poker room, over 100
table games, and 3,000 state-of-the-art
slots. Foodies flock to the place, too—the
restaurant lineup includes an outpost of
local favorite Boathouse Asian Eatery, and
a food-court outpost of twelve-time world
pizza champion Tony Gemignani's Italian
food eateries. There is also a 200-room
hotel with a full house of amenities,
including a full-service spa and salon, and
fitness center.
Other Native American casinos in this
region are small but superlative in other
ways. Many, including Thunder Valley
(Lincoln), Chukchansi (Coarsegold), Twin
Pine (Middletown) and Cache Creek
42 2022-23 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
CATALINA ISLAND CASINO, left; couple trying
their luck at the roulette table, bottom; Agua
Caliente Rancho Mirage, opposite.
(Brooks) also have full-service hotels.
Chukchansi is the closest casino to
Yosemite National Park, just 27 miles from
the southern entrance near Wawona; it’s
also just 15 miles from Bass Lake Rec-
reation Area. Twin Pine, nearly halfway
between the wineries of the northern
Napa Valley and Lake County, is said to be
the nation’s only wine-themed casino des-
tination. Red Hawk, in Placerville, offers
child-care services for tykes while mom
and dad play.
Most of the other gambling options in
Northern California are card rooms, and
many are located in the suburbs of San
Francisco and Sacramento. Popular ones
are San Jose’s Bay 101 Casino, Colma’s
Lucky Chances and San Jose’s Casino
M8trix.
SoCal and LA
Southern California—from the northern
edge of the San Fernando Valley to the
Mexico border, the Pacific Ocean to I-15—is
home to some of the biggest Native Amer-