Deposit bonuses are cash rewards you receive when you put money into a Viejas Casino Bingo Hall a USA online casino. Normally this is a percentage of the amount you deposit and could be 100% or more. Thus if you deposit €/£/$500 and are given a 100% deposit bonus, you. Viejas Bingo is located on the east end of Viejas Outlets, directly across the street from Viejas Casino & Resort. It features a 6,000 square foot bingo floor with 400 seats, dedicated smoking.

• Sycuan Bingo Schedule
• Viejas Casino And Resort Bingo
• Viejas Bingo Times
• Viejas Casino Bingo Schedule

Nation | Tribe: Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indian Nation

5000 Willows Road
Alpine, California 91901-1656

(800) 84-POKER
(800) 847-6537
(619) 659-1900 Bingo Information

Viejas is a AAA Four Diamond casino and resort. It is located on I-8 about 36 miles east of San Diego.

Viejas Casino first opened September 13, 1991 on the Viejas reservation. The casino was preceded in 1977 by the Viejas Bingo Room which operated in the nearby Ma Tar Awa RV Park. Viejas Bingo moved inside the Viejas Casino in 1994.

Viejas Casino was remodeled in 2006 at a cost of $19 million.

Seven-Year Expansion Project Completed 2018

CASINO: A new High Limit Gaming Area is 15,415-square-feet with 80 new slots machines and eight high limit tables games. A total of 500 new slot machines have been added.

3 HOTELS: The first hotel was built in March 2013. Arenovation completed in November 2015 expanded the hotel, added a 5-story parking garage, and added 1,000 new slot machines. The Willows Hotel and Spa is adult-only and opened February 1, 2018.

RESTAURANTS & BARS: The new 360-degree Centre Bar is 1,900 square-feet, the largest in the San Diego area. It has 50 gaming machines and many TV screens. New restaurants include the Locale Kitchen & Lounge and the Ginger Noodle Bar.

News Headlines

San Diego Indian casinos plan May 18th reopeningsMay 11, 2020 - The Sacramento Bee reported yesterday that eight San Diego County have told Gov. Gavin they plan to reopen their casinos on May 18th.... Read more4 San Diego Casino Hotels Earn AAA 4-Diamond RatingFebruary 26, 2020 - The Auto Club has awarded Four-Diamond ratings to Pala Casino Spa and Resort, Sycuan Casino Resort, Viejas Casino & Resort and... Read moreViejas Casino launches Heroes Club for those that serveOctober 31, 2019 - Viejas will launch its Heroes Club on Veterans Day Nov. 11 with discounts and club benefits for veterans, active military, law enforcement, first responders and border patrol. Dependents are eligible.... Read more Headlines continued...

Awards and Recognitions

Forbes Four Star Award
2017 recipient of 4-Star Rating from Forbes Travel Guide

AAA Four Diamond Award

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Gaming

Open 24 hours daily
Minimum 21 years of age to enter
130,000 square foot casino

2,500 slot machines

50 table games

Includes Blackjack, Craps, EZ Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow, Three Card Poker, Six Card Poker, Mystery Card Roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold'em.

Poker room - 18 tables

Bingo - played at the Viejas Bingo & Slot Parlor across the street in the Viejas Outlets.

The Viejas bingo hall is 6,000 square feet with 400 seats, smoking and non-smoking areas, a snack bar and valet parking.

There are three bingo sessions daily. Bingo hotline is (619) 659-1900

Off-track betting

Restaurants

The Grove Steakhouse
Steakhouse, seafood, chops. Lunch & dinner

The Buffet
open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11am to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturday.

V Lounge
weekend entertainment and dancing.

Hamburger Hamlet
open 24 hours daily

Far East Express
Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

North of the Border
Mexican Food. Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

The Coffee Bar
Peet's Coffee & Tea products. Sun-Thurs 8am-10pm, Fri & Sat 8am-11pm

Entertainment

Hotel

Viejas Casino Resort has two on-property hotels: The Viejas Hotel and the new, adult-only Willow Hotel & Spa.

Viejas Hotel

• AAA Four-Diamond Rating
• Hotel tower opened October 30, 2015
• 203 luxury rooms, and 34 VIP suites
• Hotel pool

Willows Hotel & Spa

• AAA Four-Diamond Rating
• Opened Feb 1, 2018
• Adult-only (age 21 years and older)
• All-suite hotel tower. 159 king or queen suites.
• Willows Spa
  Sauna, saltwater pool, whirlpool and fitness center.
  10:00 am - 8:00 pm Monday-Thursday
  09:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday-Saturday
  10:00 am - 6:00 pm Sunday
• Restaurants:
  Locale Kitchen and Lounge
  Ginger Noodle Bar
  Daily Roast

Viejas Factory Outlets

The Outlet is located directly accross the street from the casino.

Unique stores

Several eating venues

Viejas Bowl - bowling

Largest winter, outdoor ice rink

News Articles

Viejas Casino launches Heroes Club for those that serve

October 31, 2019

Viejas Casino & Resort will launch its new Heroes Club appreciation program on Veterans Day November 11, 2019 to honor those that serve our country and communities. The program offers discounts and benefits to all military veterans, active military, first responders, law enforcement and border patrol.

HEROES CLUB BENEFITS

• BOGO Buffet on Wednesdays
• Automatic Silver Card Upgrade:
  30% Dining Discounts
  10% V Store & Gift Shop Discounts
  10% Willows Spa & Salon Discounts
• $5 Free Play Cash, Sunday-Friday
• Sunday Bingo Package
• Bowling Discount

Dependents are eligible for $5 Free Play Cash (Sunday-Friday), the Sunday Bingo Package and the Bowling Discount

To sign up for the Heroes Club, visit a myViejas desk at the casino.

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Valley View Casino partners with Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

October 18, 2018

A five year partnership has been made between Valley View Casino & Hotel and Humphreys Concerts by the Bay.

The partnership will complement the current expansion project that is underway at the casino hotel. The project is an $50 million investment that is renovating and enlarging the casino and dining venues. As well, as add entertainment options. The project is estimated to be completed by the middle of next year. While construction is happening the casino, hotel, and restaurants will be open.

Humphreys Concerts by the Bay is well known in the Southern California area for the venue and the performances that are shown there. The outdoor venue is located near the marina and guests can enjoy views of the boats and palm trees.

Valley View Casino & Hotel is owned by the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians

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Viejas Casino & Resort Completes Seven-Year Expansion Project

PRESS RELEASE
October 09, 2018
BUSINESS WIRE

New saltwater pool at the New Viejas Casino & Resort. (Photo: Business Wire)

Popular Destination Unveils Renovation Results; Launches New Center Bar and High Limit Gaming Area

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viejas Casino & Resort today announced the completion of its seven-year renovation and expansion. Since initiating the project in 2011, the popular destination has constructed three hotel towers, redesigned the entire property, and launched a new and extensive center bar and high limit gaming area. The project completion follows closely behind the opening of Viejas Casino & Resort's recently developed adult-only destination, Willows Hotel & Spa.

The new, stylish 1900-square-foot, 360-degree center bar includes 50 seats with gaming machines at each seat, 18 65-inch televisions wrapping around the entire bar and caters to both small and large groups. The center bar has its own 24-hour sports bar-style food menu, and features an extensive alcohol list, with wine and beer on tap including the recently launched Viejas Golden Blonde, a light and refreshing blonde ale created in collaboration with Mission Brewery. Center bar's design incorporates various architectural elements including tile, stone, geometric shapes, and bright colors with the intention to make a bold statement as the new centerpiece of the Viejas property. These specific design elements were selected with the goal of accentuating the height of the center bar by guiding the eye from floor to ceiling and offering guests a big, open space for imbibing and socializing while on property.

Upping the ante, the 15,415-square-foot high limit gaming area includes more than 80 new slots and poker machines, and eight exclusive High Limit Tables games. Created for those looking for an exclusive high-stakes wagering experience, the high limit gaming area at Viejas Casino & Resort is now the most expansive and exclusive in the market.

The third and most recently constructed hotel tower is home to Willows Hotel & Spa, which opened in February 2018. Designed to embody modern elegance and luxury, the adult-only hotel offers guests a serene, architecturally-stunning escape that pulls the surrounding scenic mountainscapes into the property. Willows Hotel & Spa has 159 VIP suites, luxury spa facilities, a fitness center, signature restaurants, including Locale Kitchen & Lounge, Ginger Noodle Bar and Daily Roast, as well as an expanded gaming space. The first two hotel towers opened in 2013 and 2015 and make up Viejas Hotel, the property's family-friendly destination that features 203 luxury rooms and 34 VIP suites. In addition, Viejas Hotel includes a lush, spacious pool and lounge area, two modern fitness centers and two especially user-friendly business centers that enable guests to work and play.

We're thrilled to see the entire property come together and are proud of all the incredible improvements,? said Robert Welch, Jr., Chairman of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and Viejas Casino & Resort. ?It took seven years to bring our vision to reality and create a truly remarkable casino and resort, where our guests can enjoy all the new offerings and amenities. The expansion also connects us to a broader audience because we now have something luxurious and exciting for everyone to enjoy, be it adults who love gaming, to young couples who enjoy spending time at a high-end pool or families looking for an all-day or weekend destination.

Welch Jr., added, 'Our new center bar, which is the biggest in the San Diego area, will be a popular meet up point in the casino. We're looking forward to having our guests finally experience it!'

Viejas Casino & Resort began the renovation and expansion project with the intention of providing an unmatched guest experience and to design the most luxurious escape among Southern California competitors. In the wake of these revamps, Viejas Casino & Resort has evolved into San Diego's premier luxury gaming resort and regularly receives industry accolades, including annual rankings as a AAA Four Diamond Hotel and Forbes Travel Guide 4-Star Resort. Most recently, Willows Hotel & Spa was named Best Hotel during the 14th Annual HOSPY Awards hosted by NEWH, the hospitality industry's leading networking organization.

To celebrate the completion of the renovation, Viejas Casino & Resort will be hosting a series of events during the grand opening weekend of Oct. 19-21.

On Friday, Oct. 19 Viejas will host an exclusive VIP event for media and dignitaries, which will feature the unveiling of the new center bar, a tasting of small bites from all six of the restaurants on property and live music.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, Viejas will host a grand opening event for the public featuring more than $250,000 in cash and prize giveaways including a Mercedes-Benz convertible, theatrical circus performances, a dazzling fireworks show, live music and small bites from all of the restaurants on property.

For more information about Viejas Casino & Resort, visit www.viejas.com.

Contacts

For Viejas Casino & Resort
Sarah Kinsella
skinsella@crowepr.com
224-406-4709

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Viejas Opens New Willows Hotel & Spa

PRESS RELEASE

February 01, 2018

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viejas Casino & Resort opened its new luxury tower, Willows Hotel & Spa, January 31, 2018, as the third phase of its latest development plans with a ribbon cutting ceremony, an exclusive VIP party, and a mesmerizing fireworks show. By maintaining the artistic theme of nature, the new tower embraces a relaxing atmosphere by customizing the guest's stay. The 159 all-suite, adult-only tower features a lush new saltwater pool, an extravagant full-service spa, salon, and fitness center, plus three new restaurant concepts. The San Diego area's premier gaming destination has been redefined to accommodate guests with an unparalleled experience.

Welcoming an invitation-only guest list to the grand opening celebration for Willows Hotel & Spa, General Manager Todd Simons praised the lush adults-only tower as 'the first in this market' and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, who now employ a growing team of 2,100.

In a speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony, Viejas Tribal Chairman Robert J. Welch, Jr. said, 'We are proud to give back to our community in so many ways. We will continue to work tirelessly to be authentic and unwavering.'

Upon arrival to Willows Hotel & Spa, guests are greeted with a personalized check in experience that is tailored to their uniqueaccommodations and describes the array of luxurious built-in amenities therein. Each suite features an ultra-modern contemporary design and has the functionality of a smart room, which can find information, act as an alarm, play music, and more. A pillow preference program allows guests to choose from a selection of plush bedding options to ensure a restful night's slumber and select rooms feature a Wellness Experience including items such as Vitamin C-infused showers which add to the guests' ability to reinvigorate. Each suite features products from Whish Beauty, whose trendsetting bath and beauty products are naturally sourced, organic, and made in the USA.

Those wishing to relax poolside can enjoy the all-new saltwater pool with amenities designed to nourish the mind and body. From outdoor meditation to poolside massage treatments, the adults-only pool is complimented by a brand-new spa, which offers full salon and spa services, ideal for anyone who seeks to be pampered, while a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center allows guests to maintain their exercise regimens uninterrupted during their stay. Spa highlights include a salt sauna, private spa pool, steam room, and outdoor cabanas where treatments can be provided. This offers the perfect balance across the AAA 4 Diamond, Forbes Travel Guide 4 Star rated property and compliments Viejas' other family-friendly and high-energy pool environments.

To satiate the refined tastes of the hotel's visitors, three new restaurant concepts feature fresh, gourmet international food offerings. Locale Kitchen and Lounge, the signature eatery with farm-to-table California inspired cuisine, serves lunch and dinner in the sophisticated atmosphere. GingerNoodle Bar offers up classic and contemporary Asian fare in a comfortable and modern setting, while The Daily Roast features popular Starbucks products and serve the grab-and-go needs of guests 24 hours a day.

Viejas Casino & Resort is at the heart of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians' entrepreneurial achievements and is recognized as one of the most respected and successful Indian gaming resorts in California. Since its beginnings as the Viejas Bingo Room in 1977 the property has undergone several expansions, constantly striving to provide guests more amenities, better services and more reasons to visit.

Source: Business Wire

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News Headlines Continued

Valley View Casino partners with Humphreys Concerts by the BayOctober 18, 2018 - Valley View Casino and Humphreys Concerts by the Bay have agreed to a partnership to complement the casino's $50 million expansion.... Read moreViejas Casino & Resort Completes Seven-Year Expansion ProjectOct 9, 2018 - Press Release - Since 2011, Viejas Casino has constructed three hotel towers, a high limit gaming area, a massive center bar, and the adult-only Willows Hotel & Spa.... Read more2018 Best Southern California CasinosOctober 4, 2019 - Readers of the Southern California Gaming Guide^TM voted for the top casinos in each of 17 categories. The Top 3 in each category are listed here.... Read moreViejas Opens New Willows Hotel & Spa

Sycuan Bingo Schedule

02.01.2018 - Viejas Casino & Resort opened its new luxury tower, Willows Hotel & Spa, January 31, 2018, as the third phase of its latest development plans... Read more06.04.2017 New Viejas hotel construction celebrates 'topping off'11.19.2014 Viejas Casino & Resort Achieves re-cert as Responsible Gambling Facility09.10.2014 Viejas Casino & Resort to set Two Records in One Day09.01.2014 Possible Hotel Expansion at Viejas Casino07.02.2013 Viejas Casino Certified for Responsible Gaming for 7th Year06.03.2013

Viejas Casino And Resort Bingo

Four Diamond Status Awarded to Viejas Casino Resort11.13.2012 Viejas new 5-story hotel opens in March04.20.2011 Viejas Casino celebrates the Royal Wedding01.03.2011 San Diego Area Woman Hits Jackpot at Viejas Casino

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By Ethan Banegas

The Journal of San Diego History
San Diego History Center Quarterly
Winter 2017, Volume 63, Number 1
Indian Gaming in the Kumeyaay Nation (PDF)

San Diego County has the largest concentration of Indian casinos in the nation. Gaming has allowed Indian tribes to pursue the policy of self-determination, which means that Indian tribal governments can conduct their own affairs. The process of winning the right to gamble took place over the course of nine years and involved three landmark cases: Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Butterfield (1979), Barona Group of the Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians v. Duffy (1982), and California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians (1987). This article examines the political climate that allowed the courts to favor Indian gaming. It also includes the shared history of the Barona, Sycuan, and Viejas casinos.

In the 1960s, Indians began to demand control over programs that affected their welfare. The federal government gradually allowed a higher degree of tribal sovereignty and self-determination. W. Dale Mason wrote:

Beginning with initiatives in the Kennedy administration, the 1960s brought about another dramatic change in Indian policy. By de facto ending termination and turning responsibility for federal programs over to the tribes, Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon set in motion a process that by the 1990s resulted in dynamic, thriving tribal governments.¹

The Reagan (1981-1989) and Bush Sr. (1989-1993) administrations solidified a policy of self-determination that began in the 1960s.

Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

In the early 1980s, programs run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs were at risk of being cut when the Reagan administration decided to balance the budget.² Sen. Thomas Slade Gorton (Republican-WA) remarked, “no one can or should expect to be exempt from the inevitable cuts which ensue from balancing the budget.”³ A “longtime tribal antagonist” and chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Gorton successfully pushed to cut Indian programs.⁴ The pieces were in place for the state and federal governments to open the door for Indian gaming as a way to relieve tribal dependence on the federal government. Even a decade later in 1995, during the Clinton administration, the Senate refused to restore $200 million in cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs by a vote of 61 to 36.⁵ Pro-Indian supporters like Barbara Boxer (Democrat-CA), Edward Kennedy (Democrat-MA), and Majority Leader Tom Daschle (Democrat-SD) voted with the Republican majority.

With the 1980s cuts in federal funding, tribal governments looked for other ways of generating the revenue necessary to fund their programs. In 1975, the Seminole Tribe of Florida had established a high-stakes bingo operation that generated significant revenues for education, welfare, and economic development. Indian gaming was challenged when Broward County Sheriff Robert Butterfield, acting on behalf of the State of Florida, threatened to close the Seminole bingo hall because they offered prizes over $100. The Seminoles were granted a preliminary injunction by the district court and pursued a case against Florida, Seminole v. Butterfield. Attorneys for the State of Florida defended Butterfield by arguing that the state had criminal jurisdiction over Indian tribes. In 1953, Congress had passed Public Law 83-280 that permitted certain states to transfer criminal jurisdiction from Indian country to the state government. The law applied to California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Oregon, and Wisconsin with the exception of three reservations: Red Lake Chippewa Reservation, Warm Springs Reservation, and Menominee Reservation.⁶ Attorneys for the Seminole Tribe, however, successfully argued in 1979 that PL 83-280 only applied to criminal jurisdiction and not to gambling. The district and circuit courts agreed and ruled in favor of the Seminole Indian Tribe because “the playing of bingo halls and operation of bingo halls is not contrary to the public policy.”⁷ The court explained:

The district court held that Florida’s gambling laws were civil/ regulatory not criminal/prohibitory. Therefore, notwithstanding the state’s assumption of criminal jurisdiction over Indians in Florida reservations under Public Law 83-280, the state limits on bingo did not apply to the Seminole games.⁸

Barona Valley Barn (1932), 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

Seminole v. Butterfield paved the way for the Barona Band of Mission Indians to commence gaming. Tribal chairman (1981-1988) Edward “Joe” Welch traveled to the Seminole Reservation in Florida to evaluate their gambling operation. After his return, the Barona tribal council voted to open their own high stakes bingo with both tribal money and funds from Welch’s personal account. Barona was among the first tribes to have bingo games on a federally recognized tribal reservation.⁹ Like Florida, however, the State of California had laws forbidding high-stakes bingo. San Diego County Sheriff John Duffy, acting on behalf of the state, threatened to close the Barona bingo hall. Barona filed suit in district court in Barona Group of the Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians v. Duffy and used the Seminole case as a precedent. Barona won in district court.¹⁰ The courts use the same language as the Seminole case to rule in favor of Barona, stating that California’s gaming policy was permissive/regulatory and bingo was beyond the Sheriff’s jurisdiction.¹¹ A plaque at the Barona Museum pays homage to Barona’s victory; it reads, “In 1982 Barona won US Supreme Court ruling Duffy v Barona, allowing high-stakes Bingo.”¹²

In the wake of the Barona and Seminole cases, which decided in favor of Indian gaming, approximately 80 other tribes entered the gaming business.¹³ Although these court cases ruled that gaming was beyond the reach of the state’s jurisdiction to prosecute, “states continued to enforce their gambling regulations on reservations.”¹⁴ The final showdown took place in California almost a decade after Seminole v. Butterfield in the California v. Cabazon case (1987).¹⁵ Eighteen tribes and two Indian organizations battled twenty-five states in the Supreme Court over the role of state governments and Indian gaming.¹⁶ Like the Barona and Seminole cases, the state’s main argument rested on Public Law 83-280 giving the state jurisdiction over federally recognized tribes.

On February 25, 1987, the Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 to reject California’s position. Using the same language as Seminole and Barona, the court found that Public Law 83-280 gave California the ability to regulate gaming but not to prohibit it. Congress had passed the law in an effort to combat lawlessness on reservations; it permitted states to intervene in tribal affairs only if criminal activity was taking place. California v. Cabazon settled the issue of states trying to forbid Indian gaming once and for all. Significantly, it was no coincidence there was a continuity of language used in all three court cases. During the author’s interview with Don Speer, long-time business advisor to the Barona Band of Mission Indians, he shared that the Cabazon attorneys used the Barona and Seminole cases as templates to win the case.¹⁷

Speer, working with the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians as an investor with a management contract for their Desert Oasis Casino at the time, emphasized that Barona was a massive influence on the steps taken to win the Cabazon case. These three court cases are inextricably linked. To summarize: in the beginning was the Seminole victory, which led Joe Welch (Barona’s Chairman) to visit the Seminoles and open a high-stakes bingo operation on Barona. Thereafter, Sheriff Duffy’s threat brought about Barona’s case and eventual victory, using the argument from prosecuting attorneys representing the Seminoles. After Barona’s victory, Cabazon had the final showdown in the Supreme Court and won by replicating Barona’s and Seminole’s arguments.

Barona Bingo Cardroom and Casino

Under Chairman Welch, Barona’s high-stakes bingo continued in an unassuming gymnasium at the center of the reservation and generated money.¹⁸ Tribal sovereignty gave Barona’s bingo a competitive advantage over off-reservation games because the state could not limit hours and jackpots.

In 1983, the Sycuan tribe, located eleven miles from Barona, followed suit and opened up a bingo hall. Sycuan’s high-stakes bingo enjoyed the same competitive advantage as Barona, and it was located much closer to large population centers in San Diego. It was not long before Sycuan took most of Barona’s business, leaving their neighboring tribe in a vulnerable situation. Barona’s nascent gaming business closed four times due to both mismanagement and Sycuan’s proximity to San Diego.

Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

Clifford LaChappa, who succeeded Joe Welch as tribal chairman of Barona, inherited a gaming business in dire straits. After closing four times, Barona’s high- stakes bingo was hardly producing any income for tribal members. Chairman LaChappa was working for the San Diego Gas and Electric Company, and when he heard about a man named Don Speer who was recognized in the gaming industry for successfully turning around the bankrupt gaming business on the Cabazon reservation near Palm Springs, California, he reached out to him. After working with the Cabazon tribe for nearly six years, he was reluctant to come to the Barona reservation because it had a bad track record and an extremely remote location. Chairman LaChappa talked him into visiting the reservation and the rest is history. Speer was drawn to the people of Barona. On a handshake deal, he committed to not only investing his own money to help Barona turn its struggling business around but had a clear vision and determination to turn it into a financial success that would rival casinos on the Las Vegas strip. He took a gamble on Barona’s high-stakes bingo and built a new cardroom investing his own money in the operation.¹⁹

Speer and the people of Barona soon turned their gaming operation around. Eventually the tribe accumulated enough money to expand into a bona fide casino, the Big Top Barona Casino, that opened in 1994. Building this casino was not without risk because Barona did not yet have a state compact. Authorities could have closed the operation if a compact between the tribe and state was not agreed upon. Fortunately, the Las Vegas-style casino became an instant success. It was housed in a 39,000 square-foot tent, had 1,000 slot machines, and consisted of a vintage Barnum and Bailey circus theme. With the construction of the Barona Big Top, Barona’s gaming operation went from the third most successful casino in San Diego to the first.

In anticipation of a Barona compact with the State of California, Speer and the people of Barona began plans in 1998 with world-renowned Las Vegas architect Joel Bergman to build a new $225 million resort casino. Bergman had designed the Golden Nugget (Atlantic City), the MGM Resort & Casino (Las Vegas), the Mirage (Las Vegas), Caesar’s Palace (Las Vegas), The Paris Casino and Resort (Las Vegas), and numerous other projects. Significantly, Barona’s first gaming compact with the state was signed on October 8, 1999, during the preliminary stages of the new resort and casino.²⁰ After four years of planning and construction, Barona’s new casino was completed on December 31, 2002. There is a detailed description of Barona’s resort and casino on their website:

About Barona Resort & Casino: Named Best Casino and “Loosest Slots” for six consecutive years in the San Diego’s Best Union- Tribune Readers Poll, Barona Resort & Casino is the ultimate gaming entertainment destination featuring 2,000 slot and video poker machines and over 90 table games. The AAA Four Diamond rated property features 400 spacious guest rooms and suites with beautiful views of Barona Valley, award-winning dining, the AmBience Day Spa, a full-service events center and the 18-hole championship Barona Creek Golf Club, which was rated the 4th Best Resort Course in California by Golfweek Magazine.²¹

Sycuan Aims for Economic Diversity

Barona and Sycuan share a common history in Indian gaming. Among the most noteworthy correlations are bingo history and a pioneering tribal chair. In 1972, Anna Prieto Sandoval won the tribal chair of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. There were approximately eighty tribal members at the time and “none had a steady job.”²² Life on the reservation was full of extreme hardships and Sandoval walked ten miles one day to retrieve milk for her children. News travels fast among reservations in San Diego County due to ancient kinship ties, and Sandoval heard about Barona’s successful high-stakes bingo operation eleven miles away. In 1983, Chairwoman Sandoval was approached by Pan American International (PAI), a management company, to open a high-stakes bingo operation on Sycuan. This was the same management company that managed Seminole bingo in Florida.

A year after Chairman Edward “Joe” Welch opened a bingo hall in Barona’s recreation center, Sandoval pioneered Sycuan’s high-stakes bingo. Like Welch, Sandoval used her own personal assets to start a gambling operation. PAI’s proposition had created strong opposition among a faction of Sycuan’s tribal members who feared that traffic jams and strangers would change their quiet reservation life. Sandoval, however, offered a remote site on the outskirts of the reservation (she owned half the title) to satisfy the tribal opposition. The Sycuan Bingo Palace, as it was called, irked those who had doubted Sandoval, particularly after her business venture became profitable.²³

Sycuan had a competitive advantage over Barona because it was located closer to large population centers in San Diego and just ten miles from the city of El Cajon. The tribe’s early success allowed them to part ways with PAI management in 1987 and to manage the bingo game themselves. Profits eventually allowed them to pay for an expansion that was completed in 1990. The new bingo hall consisted of a 68,000 square-foot structure and included a 1,500-seat bingo parlor, 35 poker tables, and 20 off-track betting seats. Chairwoman Sandoval was the

Sycuan Casino interior, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

leader of Sycuan for twenty years (1972 to 1992) and brought Sycuan’s eighty tribal members out of abject poverty. By the early 1990s unemployment disappeared.²⁴

In 2002 Sycuan hired Steve Penhall to be the general manager of their casino. He previously worked at the Sandia Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for three years, and at the Ute Mountain Casino in Durango, Colorado, for seven years.²⁵ Penhall resigned in 2008 and Sycuan returned to managing their own casino for a second time. Hank Murphy, an elder tribal member of Sycuan, said that he could not believe so many Indian casinos spent money on management companies. With great pride, Murphy explained that the people of Sycuan and the tribal council “run our own affairs.”²⁶

Don Speer mentioned that management companies are often important for financial investment and gaming expertise to open an Indian casino. For example, he stated that San Diego’s newest casino on the Jamul Reservation “probably would not have gotten off the ground without a management company.”²⁷ He also believed the same was true for Harrah’s Rincon Casino in San Diego County, which is operated by the largest management company in the world. Notably, Barona, Viejas, and Sycuan all entered the casino industry with management companies. However, after their casinos became profitable, they no longer thought it was necessary to hire management companies.

There are costs and benefits to Indians managing their own casinos. Management companies are extremely expensive and their employees make all the daily decisions for the casinos. As a result, tribal members know very little about their own business and often feel worlds apart due to a lack of involvement. On the other hand, many Indians lack experience in the casino industry. In that business, decisions that seem counter-intuitive are often the right ones. Sometimes it helps to have a management company with decades of experience in the casino industry. The question of whether to self-manage or hire a management company remains a debate that is extremely important for gaming tribes and a topic that deserves more study.

Daniel Tucker was the tribal chair of Sycuan for most of the development of Class III Vegas-style gaming. He served as tribal chairman for fourteen years (1993-1996 and 2003-2014). Before his tenure, El Cajon’s major golf course, Singing Hills, had been bought by Sycuan in 2001 to attract customers to play at the casino. Singing Hills was renamed the Sycuan Golf Resort and includes fifty-four holes, two restaurants, a swimming pool, one-hundred-twenty rooms and suites, and shuttle service to the casino, located three miles away.

In 2011, Sycuan Casino spent twenty-seven million dollars to renovate their casino “reminiscent of a Sultan’s palace.” They gutted “the entire casino, section by section,” added a world class sports bar, and expanded the buffet.²⁸ The total square footage is 305,000, which is equivalent to Viejas’ floor plan. Currently, the Sycuan casino has a total of five restaurants and “the Bingo Palace on the second floor…can easily be said to be the most elegant bingo in San Diego.”²⁹

Viejas—A Casino plus a Factory Outlet

In 1977, before the Seminoles opened their high-stakes bingo hall, Viejas opened a bingo room in their Ma Tar Awa RV Park. This event, however, is insignificant to the genesis of Indian gaming because it did not challenge the state with high-stakes jackpots and extended hours of operation, as Barona did six years later.

Viejas Casino and Resort, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

Following the three cases that made Indian gaming legal in United States, the people of Viejas voted to open a 100,000 square-foot casino in 1991. Eight years later, in 1999, they expanded to a 300,000 square-foot casino.³⁰ This new expansion coincided with the signing of a state compact with then-Governor Gray Davis of California.

September 10, 1999 is considered the “economic Independence Day of California Indians” because 58 state compacts, including Sycuan and Viejas, were signed by tribal leaders and Governor Davis. Three more compacts were signed, including Barona’s compact, on October 8, 1999.³¹ Gaming compacts limited Indian casinos to 2,000 slot machines; Viejas, Barona, and Sycuan maxed out their allotted quota at the turn of the twenty-first century. On June 14, 2000, Viejas was the first casino to have Las Vegas-style (coin operated) slot machines on a reservation.³²

On March 21, 2013, Viejas Casino became the Viejas Casino and Resort after a $36 million dollar expansion added a hotel.33 Tribal chairman Anthony Pico said Viejas originally planned for a six-hundred room hotel in 2007, but after the economic downturn, the hotel was reduced to approximately 80 percent less square footage. The Viejas hotel currently has a total of 128 rooms, which include ninety-nine deluxe and twenty-nine luxury suites. Like Barona and Sycuan, the people of Viejas manage their hotel without a management company.³⁴

Viejas Outlet Center, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

To make way for the new hotel, the old bingo hall was razed and a new four- hundred-seat bingo hall was constructed across the street from the casino in the Viejas Outlet shopping center.³⁵ Currently, the Viejas Casino has six restaurants, a night club called the “Dream Catcher,” an RV park, and a sixty-store retail outlet mall. Although the Viejas Outlet Center has struggled in recent years, it grossed twenty million dollars in 2013 according to tax yields.³⁶ In addition, the mall has managed to attract and sustain several designer brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Levi’s Outlet, Guess Factory Store, Gap Outlet, Eddie Bauer, Coach, Sunglass Hut, Nike Clearance Store, and eight eateries.³⁷

Comparing Three Native Nations

In the early history of the Kumeyaay Nation, Barona and Viejas shared a common history on the Capitan Grande Reservation. This was mostly a mutual political relationship because the kinship ties between Los Conejos and the Barona Band were tenuous. This political relationship became most evident during the relocation of 1932. Later, Barona and Sycuan enjoyed a common gaming history. Both tribes pioneered high-stakes bingo in San Diego County with trailblazing chairs, Edward “Joe” Welch and Anne Prieto Sandoval. Intense competition between Sycuan and Barona ensued in the burgeoning high-stakes bingo business, but in the end there were no losers. As Don Speer said, “Gambling begets more gambling.”³⁸ Sycuan still leads the Kumeyaay Nation in bingo, Viejas opened a new bingo hall in 2013, and Barona is out of the bingo business altogether, but is recognized as the leading gaming resort destination in the San Diego market.

Hollywood Casino in Jamul, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

Juxtaposing economic diversity among Barona, Viejas, and Sycuan is significant. Barona is the least diversified and possesses almost no other form of income outside of gaming. Viejas owns an outlet shopping mall that grossed approximately $20 million in 2013. Sycuan owns the U.S. Grant Hotel which it purchased in 2003 for $45 million (with an additional $10 million set aside for renovations). Its namesake President Ulysses S. Grant created Sycuan via executive order in 1875, irony which is not lost on Sycuan’s tribal members.³⁹ In 2007, Chairman Danny Tucker was honored inside the Grant Hotel by the San Diego History Center at the History Makers Gala with the George W. Marston Award for civic leadership. According to The Journal of San Diego History, “to date, the casino has been the Band’s most noteworthy economic success.”⁴⁰ Such a bold statement deserves qualification.

If Barona, Viejas, and Sycuan were judged simply by economic output, Barona is the most successful casino by a large margin. Strictly from a gaming perspective, the Barona Valley Resort and Casino grosses more than Sycuan and Viejas combined and is the envy of the casino industry. If we measure Sycuan, Viejas, and Barona on economic diversity, then Sycuan is the clear winner. So far, Barona’s attempts at economic diversity have been nominal, and their economic development committee, SIGNATUS, has only invested in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. SIGNATUS was created approximately a decade ago and consists seven board members (all tribal). The people of Barona recently approved a $40 million casino expansion in 2016.

In contrast to Barona, the people of Viejas have attempted other business ventures outside of gaming. The Viejas Factory Outlet Center is 255,000 square feet and includes allotments for 60 stores.⁴¹ Currently, San Diego’s newest outlet center is operating 30 stores and grossing $20 million.

After building their casino, Sycuan established the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation to diversify their economic portfolio. They have made several noteworthy acquisitions. Their first major purchase was in 2001, with the Singing Hills Golf Couse. In 2003, the U.S. Grant Hotel was purchased followed by the procurement of Ringside Promotions (boxing promotions).⁴² In addition, in 2003 the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation proposed a twenty-five-million- dollar hotel in National City and launched a mutual fund to invest in large and medium American stocks.⁴³ The drastic and subtle differences among these three tribes make for an intriguing case study indeed. One can only speculate about their future competition.

Big Top interior, Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino, 2017. Photo by Ethan Banegas.

Viejas Bingo Times

Notes (PDF)

1. W. Dale Mason, “Indian Gaming: Tribal Sovereignty and American Politics,” Sovereignty
Symposium XVIII (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), 37.
2. Ibid., 26.
3. 98 Cong. Rec. H34,184 (November 18, 1983) (statement of Rep. Udall).
4. Mason, “Indian Gaming,” 27.
5. Bill McAllister, “Native Americans, Scientists Protest Cuts in Key Programs,” The Washington
Post, September 12, 1995; 98 Cong. Rec. H11,018 (October 3, 1984), statement of Rep. Shumay.
6. California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, 480 U.S. 202, 207 (1987). The Cabazon reservation
is located in Coachella, 7 miles (11 km) from Indio, California, and 18 miles (29 km) from
Palm Springs in Riverside County.
7. Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Butterfield, 491 F. Supp. 1015, 1020 (S.D. Flor. 1979).
8. Mason, “Indian Gaming,” 47.
9. Don Speer, interview by Ethan Banegas, Barona Resort and Casino, November 25, 2015.
10. Barona Group of the Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians v. Duffy, 694 F.2d 1185.
11. Mason, “Indian Gaming,” 48.
12. Museum Label for 1981-88 Edward (Joe) Welch Administration, Barona, California, The
Barona Museum, May 2, 2016.
13. Steven Andrew Light and Kathryn R.I. Rand, Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty: The Casino
Compromise (Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2005), 40.
14. Ibid.
15. California v. Cabazon, 480 U.S. 202. See Iris Engstrand, San Diego: California’s Cornerstone (San
Diego: Sunbelt Publications, 2016), 17-20.
16. Mason, “Indian Gaming,” 49.
17. Speer, interview by Banegas; California v. Cabazon, 480 U.S. 202, 208.
18. Edward (Joe) Welch served as Chairman 1968-1976 and 1981-1988.
19. Speer, interview by Banegas.
20. California Gambling Control Commission, “Ratified Tribal-State Gaming Compacts,” Cgcc.
ca.gov. http://www.cgcc.ca.gov/?pageID=compacts (accessed on May 1, 2016).
21. Barona Valley Casino and Resort, “About Us,” Barona.com; http://www.barona.com/aboutbarona/press-center/
(accessed December 10, 2015).
22. “Anna Prieto Sandoval, 76; Sycuan Leader was a Pioneer in Indian Gaming,” Los Angeles Times,
November 1, 2011.
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. David J. Valley and Diana Lindsay, Jackpot Trail: Indian Gaming in Southern California (San Diego,
Sunbelt Publications, 2003), 149.
26. Hank Murphy, interview by Ethan Banegas, Sycuan Reservation, November 5, 2015.
27. Don Speer, interview by Ethan Banegas, Barona Resort and Casino, December 11, 2016.
28. “Sycuan Casino Undergoes Major Renovations,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 21, 2011.
29. Valley and Lindsay, Jackpot Trail, 150.
87
Indian Gaming In The Kumeyaay Nation
30. Ibid., 155.
31. Viejas Band of Kumeyaay, “Tribal Gaming History,” viejasbandofkumeyaay.org http://
viejasbandofkumeyaay.org/tribal-gaming-history/ (accessed October 14, 2016).
32. Ibid.
33. “Viejas Casino to Add 150-Room Hotel,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, August 31, 2011.
34. “Viejas Casino Opens New Bingo Hall,” The San Diego Union-Tribune, March 27, 2012.
35. Ibid.
36. Michael Connolly Miskwish, Quantification of the Public Benefit of Indian Economies in San Diego
County California (Campo: Laguna Resource Services, 2015).
37. Viejas Casino and Resort, “Outlet Stores Directory,” Viejas.com, http://viejas.com/san-diegospremier-outlet-mall/viejas-outlets-main-directory
(accessed October 14, 2016).
38. Speer, interview by Banegas.
39. “Tribe Buys Downtown San Diego Landmark,” Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2003.
40. “The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation,” The Journal of San Diego History, 53, no. 3 (Summer
2007), 150.
41. Don Speer, interview by Ethan Banegas, Barona Resort and Casino, December 11, 2016.
42. Bobby Barrett, “Spotlight on the Economy,” Indian Gaming (November 2008): 24. Accessed
December 13, 2016. http://www.indiangaming.com/istore/Nov08_TLR.pdf.
43. “Tribe Buys Downtown San Diego Landmark.

Ethan Banegas, a member of both the Luiseño and Kumeyaay bands of Native Americans, grew up on the Barona Reservation in San Diego County. He received his BA degree in History, Religious Studies and Political Science in 2009 and his MA degree in January 2017 from the University of San Diego. This article is extracted from his MA thesis entitled The Socioeconomic Impact of Indian Gaming on Kumeyaay Nations: A Case Study of Barona, Viejas, and Sycuan, 1982-2016.

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Viejas Casino Bingo Schedule

Barona Tribal Museum and Cultural Center. Photo courtesy Barona Tribal Museum.