Page 32 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to California

CASINOS
LET IT RIDE
Want to try your luck? California has plenty of options for gambling
BY MATT VILLANO
PECHANGA
RESORT CASINO
Located in Temecula Valley, the
Pechanga Resort Casino is among
the largest resort/casinos in the U.S.
A four diamond property, it is
owned and operated by the
Pechanga Tribe, with cultural
artifacts throughout the resort.
It boasts more than 12 restaurants,
an on-site golf course and luxury
spa, a pool complex the size of five
football fields, a live sports and
concert events venue and a 24-hour
casino with 200,000 square feet of
gaming space.
In the olden days—the days of Frank
Sinatra and Bugsy Siegel—U.S. gamblers
looking for a date with Lady Luck had
one option: Las Vegas. Nowadays, with
changes to gambling laws in many states,
it’s a safe bet that bettors can throw down
their cash just about anywhere. Of all the
states that now offer gambling, the best (and
most plentiful) options are in California.
The Golden State has two choices for
people looking to place bets: Native Amer-
ican casinos, and card rooms (which are
glorified bars where gambling is legal, so
long as the house doesn’t win).
The Native American outposts tend to be
farther from major cities but offer nicer
digs. They have slots. They have table
games. They even have bingo. Many of
these wagering wonderlands are “Vegas-
style” resorts, complete with luxury hotels,
top-notch restaurants and indulgent spas.
A few of the properties even have their own
golf courses.
Card rooms are smaller, quieter and, in
many cases, more geared toward locals.
Games here are far less varied. In most
cases, as the name suggests, only card
games are available. The upside? Gam-
bling action is usually loose (and that’s a
good thing).
We’ve divided California’s gambling
scene into four distinct geographical
regions. Wherever you go, bet wisely, and
remember to stay within your means.
383116210/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: AIDAN BRADLEY; RUSLAN HUZAU/SHUTTERSTOCK
30 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA