Morongo Casino Resort & Spa: California Indian Casinos 2023

When it comes to the best Indian casinos in California, few offer more than what Morongo Casino Resort & Spa provides. This iconic casino is located near San Gorgonio Pass in the Palm Springs area — just 90 miles east of Los Angeles. It features tons of high-quality amenities and gambling activities, making it a great place to spend your next vacation. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians owns the casino.

Morongo Casino Fact Table

Year Opened	2004
Phone Number	951-849-3080
Address	49500 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230
Number of Games	4,000 slot machines, 80 table games, 20-table poker room
Minimum Gambling Age	18 years old

Casino Games Offered at Morongo

Morongo features a 150,000-square-foot casino floor that includes 4,000 slot machines, 80 table games, and a 20-table poker room. In that room, patrons can play enjoy a variety of poker games like Texas hold’em and seven-card stud. There’s also a 147-slot non-smoking room. With the table games, guests can enjoy anything from blackjack to roulette, craps, baccarat, and more. But Morongo’s slots are arguably the biggest attraction. Its slot machines collection includes some of the newest games in the entire Palm Springs area. Slot costs are between a single cent up to $100, and you can find traditional reel games plus a bunch of new video machines, as well as video poker. Some of the most popular slot options include:

• Wheel of Fortune
• Lightning Links
• Walking Dead II
• Buffalo Grand
• Elvis
• Dragon Link
• Ultimate-X Video Poker
• Monopoly Money Hot Shot

There’s also a high-limit slot room area for games that pay out large sums. Aside from these casino games and poker, you’ll also be able to enjoy a collection of classic table games like Fortune Pai Gow, 3 Card Poker, and Mississippi Stud. Many of these games take low bets or buy-ins but still include the potential for big winnings. Most of the gaming tables at Morongo are dedicated to these “Cal games,” which feature special rules and can be found at other legal California casinos. Essentially, these Cal games are just modified table games. Additionally, there’s a 440-seat bingo room. Not only does this accommodate bingo lovers with events every week, but it also comes with top-notch amenities for comfortable bingo playing. Although Morongo doesn’t offer poker tournaments, the 20-table poker room does have special prizes, including high hand of the hour giveaways and cash square progressive jackpots. It is the only 18+ casino in California with an active poker room.

Morongo Cashless Gaming

In 2022, Morongo introduced cashless gaming with Money Klip. Gamblers can sign up for Money Klip at the cashier’s cage and load up to $5,000 on their Morongo Rewards Card at any of the casino slot machines. Guests can spend money from their Rewards Card to play a slot machine, or they can even put more money in their account at the slot machine. No matter how guests use Money Klip, cashless gaming at Morongo Casino allows gamblers to keep their cash at home.

Morongo Casino Gambling Age

Morongo is among the 18+ casinos in California. There are 16 such casinos, and Morongo is the biggest. That means, as long as you are 18 and over, you can legally gamble at Morongo. However, the drinking age at Morongo is still 21.

Morongo Events

Morongo is more than just a gaming casino. It’s also a place where you can find a variety of entertainment events and dining options that make it a holistic casino experience. Each year, it hosts several concerts, parties, and special events — stars like Michael Buble and Enrique Iglesias have appeared on the main Morongo stage more than once. Comedy shows are also included from time to time.  Morongo reserves 80,000 square feet for its events and entertainment venues. It also features a 12,000-square-foot ballroom that accommodates banquets, weddings, and business meetings. You’ll be able to reserve the space for your own social get-together if you like. The space holds up to 600 guests, but you must reserve far in advance. There’s an additional 27th-floor restaurant and ballroom, Cielo, that features panoramic views of the surrounding canyons and hanging chandeliers for added ambiance.

Morongo Amenities and Features

Morongo also has a lot to offer in terms of dining. There are several restaurants worth your time, including a Las Vegas-style buffet and a dedicated restaurant called Cielo, which offers fine dining and a selection of top-tier wines and spirits. There’s also The Marketplace, a self-serve all-you-can-eat experience with different stations of food from around the world. Sunset Bar & Grill is great for classic Mexican food, plus the Good Times Café serves breakfast items if you want to hang out in the casino during the first part of the day. In total, there are eight separate eating and drinking establishments within Morongo. Lastly, many visitors will want to check out the dedicated spa at Morongo, which also includes salon services. Visitation to the spa is often part of the package when you reserve a room at the 27-story casino hotel, which includes 36 suites and 272 guest rooms. Check your reservation to see if you qualify. There’s also plenty to do nearby. The Desert Hills Premium Outlets and the Cabazon Outlets are located near Morongo and offer over 130 premium retail stores. Canyon Lanes is located nearby with a Blacklight Family Bowl on Friday nights. Guests at Morongo have easy access to two 18-hole championship golf courses at Tukwet Canyon. The facilities are senior-friendly and the courses are great for the beginner, novice, and experienced golfer.

Morongo Casino Promotions

The Marketplace Play and Dine

All February, Morongo guests can earn money to spent at The Marketplace buffet by playing slot games. Using their Morongo Rewards Card, guests will get free Marketplace money for a certain amount of rewards points earned while playing slot machines.  

Points Earned	Dining Credits
200	$5
500	$15
1,000	$15
1,500	$15
2,000	$15
2,500	$15
3,000	$20

 

Tier Bonus

$500 Drawings Every Wednesday and Thursday in February, Morongo Rewards members who are among the 42 $500 cash giveaway selections will receive an extra bonus based on their Morongo Rewards tier: Titanium — $10 at The Marketplace Gold — $20 at The Marketplace Black — $50 at The Marketplace Tiger — $100 at The Marketplace Mind Games Giveaway During Fridays all February, Morongo guests who win a prize during the Bonus Game will also get free slot play based on their Morongo Rewards Tier level. Guests can earn these prizes from noon to 7:59 p.m. Fridays, and drawings take place 1-8 p.m. Titanium — $50 Free Slot Play Gold — $100 Free Slot Play Black — $125 Free Slot Play Tiger — $150 Free Slot Play

Morongo Sportsbook

If Prop 26 had passed in November’s election, there could have been sports betting at Morongo Casino some time in 2023. However, Prop 26 — and Prop 27, would would have legalized online sports gambling via apps like DraftKings California — failed miserably at the polls. That means tribes will have to wait until the 2024 election for another chance at legalizing in-person sports betting. And that means those retail sportsbooks at Indian casinos like Morongo wouldn’t open until 2025 at the earliest. So, does Morongo currently have a sportsbook and accept sports bets? No. It’s not yet legal. Would Morongo be one of the California casinos most likely to launch a retail sportsbooks became legal? Yes. For now, until there is legal California sports betting, Morongo has a massive sports bar with 20 55-inch TVs to watch all the big games. It also did well to come up with promotions to go along with the NFL season.

Morongo History

Like all tribal casinos in California, Morongo is legal because of agreements between California’s state government and the local Indian tribes. These agreements allow Indian casinos to offer gambling even though it’s against California state law. Why? Because tribal reservations are technically not part of state soil, so it isn’t bound to state laws. Morongo originally opened in 1995 under the name Casino Morongo. At the time, it only included a dance hall, diner, and bowling alley. The casino was still under negotiation between tribal and state authorities. The casino finally opened on Dec. 10, 2004. Since then, Morongo has remained one of the largest tribal casinos in the entire country. By number of slot machines, it’s the third-largest casino in California. The casino, specifically, closed in 2014 only to reopen in 2018 as a separate building in order to expand its gaming space even further. These days, you can still find the original bowling alley, a nightclub, and other entertainment venues on the original casino’s ground. However, the primary Morongo Casino Resort & Spa building now houses most of the gaming activities and the main spa. The building includes the hotel as well.

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa FAQs