Page 44 - 2023-2024 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 pro-
hibit 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 over-
turning 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
42 2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
ways. Many, including Thunder Valley (Lin-
coln), Chukchansi (Coarsegold), Twin Pine
(Middletown) and Cache Creek (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 Recreation 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 destination. Red Hawk, in
HARRAH’S NORTHERN CALIFORNIA; PECHANGA RESORT CASINO. OPPOSITE: MIKELEDRAY/SHUTTERSTOCK