Simply visit San Manuel Casino, swipe your Club Serrano card, and use your Free Play on any of our over 4,800 slot machines at the Casino. How do I get Free Play? Be a member of Club Serrano which is free to join. Purchase a qualifying package on Play.SanManuel.com, you will receive up to $150 in Free Play redeemable at the Casino.
The San Manuel Casino is located roughly 60 to 75 minutes east of Los Angeles, CA in San Bernardino County. The casino is owned and operated by The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized tribe of the Serrano people.
San Manuel is the nearest Las Vegas style casino to the majority of the Los Angeles area. This casino is very similar to other Indian run casinos in Southern California, including Harrah’s SoCal and Pechanga, and also northern CA casinos, like Cache Creek. The differences between San Manuel and a casino you would find in Atlantic City or Las Vegas are very minor, and when they exist, are due to state laws. For the most part, San Manuel is the most complete real casino experience achievable in California.
San Manuel Casino
If you are an avid gambler in Southern California, in particular, the Los Angeles area, one main difference you will notice is that San Manuel is an actual casino. Unlike cardrooms in California tribal casinos, such as San Manuel, contain table games, bingo, slot and gaming machines, and more. Additionally, there are no fees to play table games and the rules are generally more favorable at San Manuel and other tribal casinos compared to California cardrooms.
When you arrive at San Manuel you’ll notice the sheer size of the property. Relative to competitors in the area the casino is rather large and contains ample parking. However, if you choose to attend on busy nights (typically weekends), parking in the garage is sparse, so you’ll definitely want to consider what time you arrive or valeting your car. Another thing to also consider is that there is no hotel on-site, but you there are many hotel options in the area.
Inside the first-floor, casino level area plenty of gaming options. You’ll notice a circular bar in the middle of the floor where you can grab a drink, game, and/or watch one of the many TVs. Around the floor are several slots, table games, and a few more bars. Drink prices are around $7-$10, which is pretty reasonable and the floor is filled with cocktail waitresses to serve you. If you are used to receiving comp drinks, you’ll be disappointed to know that San Manuel does not offer comp drinks even if you are playing.
Gaming at San Manuel
As indicated above, there are several gaming options to choose from at San Manuel. Table games include blackjack, EZ Baccarat, let it ride, three card poker, four card poker, craps, fortune pai gow, roulette, and ultimate Texas hold’em. Their poker room has around 35 tables with games ranging from Texas hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, or seven card stud.
San Manuel offers free bet blackjack, buster blackjack, house money, double-deck and high limit blackjack. The majority of the tables are 6-deck games with automatic shuffling. On weekends, you should expect the tables to require a minimum bet of $25 to play, however, on non-peak days minimums may decrease to as low as $5. The max bet is $2,000. All the shoe games pay 3 to 2, require the dealer to hit on soft 17s, allow doubling on any two cards after splitting, allow re-splitting of aces, and allow you to surrender.
In the high limit area, the minimum bet for blackjack is either $50 or $100 depending on which table you choose. Otherwise, the rules are the same including dealers hitting on all soft 17s. The rest of the area is nicer relative to the floor simply due to the fact that fewer people play in the high limit area. You’ll enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere with your own cocktail waitresses, video poker bar, and slot and table games.
How Many Slot Machines Does San Manuel Casino Have A Poker Room
San Manuel has over 4,000 gaming machines ranging from mechanical reel slots, video reels, video keno, in-house progressive jackpots, and over 115 video poker machines. There is also a dedicated non-smoking area if you are looking to play without being exposed to cigarette smoke as it is allowed throughout the casino.
Poker at San Manuel
Below is a breakdown of the poker games you’ll find inside the poker room at San Manuel.
Limit Hold’em: 2/4 (2/2 blinds); 3/6 (1/3 blinds); 4/8 with a kill; 8/16 with a half kill or a full kill; 20/40 with a kill
No Limit Hold’em: 2/5 blinds (100-300 buy-in); 5/5 blinds (300-500 buy-in)
Omaha/8: 3/6 full kill
Seven Card Stud: 2/4 ($0.50 ante and bring-in); 3/6 ($1 ante and bring-in)
It is best to check with the casino to see what games are running the particular day you are interested in going. Often times the 20/40 with a kill limit hold’em and the seven card stud games are very rare or limited.
Typically, the poker room attracts low-limit action and inexperienced players. As with most poker rooms the higher the stakes generally the more experienced the players are. However, one positive is that the wait times have been known to be small or completely non-existent. It’s likely you’ll find a game going during any time of the day.
The rake at San Manuel is 3 + 1 jackpot on all the limit games up to 8/16, 4 + 1 jackpot on all limit games from 20/40 up to and on all no-limit games.
The majority of the tables use machine shufflers, and they typically reserve hand-shuffles for tournament games or out of necessity. As a new player, you do not need to post to enter a game and killer acts last. There is absolutely no smoking inside the poker room at San Manuel.
The casino also runs several poker tournaments and jackpot promotion throughout the year depending on the month and day of the week. Overall, the poker room will suffice if you are an inexperienced player or not quite an expert. However, it could be argued that there are better poker rooms in the Los Angeles, CA area with higher limits and more experienced players.
Dining at San Manuel Casino
There is no shortage of food options in San Manuel. The easiest and most convenient options are the quick eating options located on the first-floor. The area resembles a food court setup and you can choose from burgers, Thai food, pizza, and other quick bites.
Additionally, there are casual options such as George Lopez’s Chingon Kitchen, Just Barbecue, Rock & Brews, and the Serrano Buffett. If you are looking for upscale options you can either try The Pines Modern Steakhouse and/or the Pines Sunday Brunch.
There are plenty of drink options as well, but the casino adheres to current state law which does not allow alcohol after 2am.
Bars and Entertainment at San Manuel Casino
Located on the first-floor, The Tukut lounge offers free entertainment every night of the week. On weekdays, alcohol service begins at 5pm and ends at 1:15am and weekend service begins at 8am and ends at 1:15am. Every Tuesday is Salsa Night, with lessons starting at 8pm. Wednesdays is Country Night from 8pm to 1:30am, and every Friday is Latin Friday starting at 9pm.
Also on the first-floor is Bar Bar Bar, where you most likely be able to listen to local DJs just about every night of the week. Other bars inside the casino include the Tropical Storm Bar, Finish Line Bar, and Round Up Bar. As previously indicated above, drinks are reasonably priced around $7-$10. You can most likely find some sort of live music or entertainment every night of the week at San Manuel.
Features at San Manuel Casino
As eluded to above, the main features of San Manuel pertain to the Vegas-style of gaming it offers relative to competitors in the state of California and the surrounding Los Angeles, CA area.
If you are looking for an option to play slots, table games, poker, and bingo without fees and unfavorable rules San Manuel is most likely your best bet. The minimum age to play at San Manuel is 21, and the casino offers a rewards program that yields credits, discounts on food, and more.
In November 2017, San Manuel announced an expansion plan that would upgrade and improve the casino facility all-around. The main features include the addition of a 500-room resort style hotel, expanded casino floor space, a 4,000-seat performance venue, additional meeting and event space, new amenities including a spa and more shops, and a new 2,200-vehicle parking structure. The casino is expected to break ground by mid 2018 and conclude by the end of 2020. The plans not only improve the casino, but will also stimulate the local economy by adding more jobs.
Location
San Manuel Casino is located at 777 San Manuel Blvd. Highland, CA 92346. It is about a 60 to 75-minute drive from Los Angeles depending on the time of day you leave and traffic. As traffic is a notorious issue in Los Angeles, it is best to allow enough time to travel there or to travel during off-peak hours (i.e. late at night or early in the morning).
The casino also offers charter bus options from various locations in Southern California. For more information visit their website here.
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In California, you can enjoy most types of gambling to some extent, even though most forms of gambling are illegal within its borders. Currently, slot games are illegal in California but can be found at tribal casinos, which operate on reservation land and are not beholden to CA law.
Below we present a breakdown of what types of slot games you can find in California and how they differ from Las Vegas’ slot game offerings.
Vegas-Style Slots Versus California Slots
You can find tons of slot games to play in California, even for real money. But while playing slot machines and wagering real money is totally legal in Vegas, the same isn’t true for the Golden State.
Gambling for money is largely illegal in California, except for horse racing and daily fantasy sports. Indian casinos get around this legal restriction since they operate on sovereign Indian ground. Therefore, you can play slots in California so long as they are within a legally operating tribal casino establishment.
Similarities And Differences
Virtually all forms of gambling are legal in Las Vegas, whether for money, digital sweeps coins, or other types of currency. In Las Vegas, you can find all types of slot machines and games in the variety of casinos there. In California, slot games are limited to Indian casinos.
However, this isn’t to say that you won’t find plenty of variety at those Indian casinos. Indeed, many of the largest tribal casinos have thousands of slot machines and tons of variety for slot game enthusiasts to enjoy. For instance, Pechanga Resort Casino is the largest in the entire state and features 4,500 slot machines in total across 188,000 ft.² of gaming space.
There is a shared similarity between California and Las Vegas slots. In most cases, you need to be 21-years-old to play slots. Although the legal gambling age in California is 18-years-old, tribal casinos can set their own legal gambling age. Most of them err on the side of caution and set this to 21-years-old instead of 18-years-old since they serve alcohol on their open gambling floors.
They do this so they don’t accidentally serve alcohol to any underage gamblers. There are only a few tribal casinos in California that allow 18-years-olds to enter.
Largest Northern California Slots Casinos In California
These are the two largest and most slot-intensive casinos in Northern California:
Cache Creek Casino
This newly-reopened tribal casino has a fantastic hotel coming in late 2021. At this time, it’s open 24 hours a day and features almost a 75,000 ft.² space with 2,400 slot machines. Over 300 of these machines are in a non-smoking area. There’s also 122 table games and a high-stakes table area that includes blackjack and baccarat.
You’ll be able to find most of the slots on the main casino floor, separated by a central area featuring table games. There’s also a high limit slots area on the north end of the casino. This is a perfect place if you enjoy slots with more on the line.
Regardless of the titles you choose, you’ll be able to join the casino’s club and benefit from tons of bonuses and high payback limits. The more you play, the more rewards you’ll earn as you spend time at this casino. It’s a great staple gaming establishment if you like to head to the slots every weekend as a hobby.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort
This Northern California tribal casino is located just outside Sacramento. The casino currently features nearly 145,000 ft.² of gaming space and is open 24 hours a day, with 2,800 slot machines and over 130 live poker and gaming tables. There’s also a 500-seat bingo area if you’re interested.
The slots you can find range from classic reel favorites, like Quick Hits, to newer slot games like Willy Wonka’s Munchkinland. The variety of slot machines is truly staggering and slot game enthusiasts will find a lot to like as they tour the expansive space. New and exciting slot machines are usually added to a dedicated spot in Thunder Valley’s Pano Hall. This way, you don’t have to hunt for new games if you check out this casino frequently.
Slot game bets range from one cent up to $100 depending on your preference. There’s also a smoke-free slots room, plus a bonus strike jackpot system that all players can partake in. Players can enjoy extra rewards like chances for bonus jackpots if they sign up for a Thunder Rewards Card.
Here are all the tribal slots casinos operating currently in Northern California:
- Bear River Casino
- Black Oak Casino
- Cache Creek Casino
- Cer-Ae Heights Bingo and Casino
- Chicken Ranch Casino
- Chuckchansi Gold Resort & Casino
- Colusa Casino Resort
- Coyote Valley Casino
- Desert Rose Casino
- Diamond Mountain Casino
- Eagle Mountain Casino
- Elk Valley Casino
- Feather Falls Casino and Lodge
- Garcia River Casino
- Gold Country Casino
- Graton Resort & Casino
- Hard Rock Fire Mountain Casino
- Harrah’s Northern California Casino
- Hidden Oaks Casino
- Hopland So-Ka-Wah Casino & Bingo
- Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort
- Konocti Vista Casino Resort, Marina & RV Park
- Lucky 7 Casino
- Lucky Bear Casino
- Mechoopda Casino Project
- Mono Wind Casino
- North Fork Rancheria Resort Hotel & Casino
- Paiute Palace Casino
- Pit River Casino
- Playstation 777
- Rain Rock Casino
- Red Fox Casino & Bingo
- Red Hawk Casino
- Redwood Hotel Casino
- River Rock Casino
- Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino
- Rolling Hills Casino
- Running Creek Casino
- San Pablo Lytton Casino
- Sherwood Valley Casino
- Table Mountain Casino
- Tachi Palace Casino Resort
- Thunder Valley Casino
- Twin Pine Casino
- Win-River Casino
- Winnedumah Winn’s Casino
Largest Southern California Slots Casinos In California
Here are the two largest Southern California slots casinos:
Pechanga Resort Casino
This is the largest of all California casinos, totaling 188,000 ft.² of gaming space and 4,500 slot machines, along with tons of table games and other entertainment activities and venues. It’s located in Riverside County, so it’s also very close to wine country. It’s a phenomenal casino since it’s open 24 hours a day and features an expansive slot floor.
Even better, the slot floor has been reworked since the COVID-19 pandemic. Games are now spaced about a machine’s width away to ensure appropriate physical distancing. Classic favorites and newer slot games alike can be found pretty easily, including state-of-the-art reel games, keno games, video poker games, video reels, and more.
The casino makes use of a ticketing system so you can enjoy all the games you like before turning in your total winnings. Slot machine enthusiasts will also really appreciate that this casino constantly updates their game selection, bringing in new titles every few months and filtering out old, lesser played games in order to make space.
Ultimately, it’s a slot player’s dream location, with something new almost every time you pay a visit.
San Manuel Casino
This casino has also recently reopened after its COVID-19 closure. Originally a bingo-only casino, San Manuel Casino now hosts 4,800 slot machines and 120,000 ft.². It’s open 24 hours a day and features many additional table games and a poker room.
Like Pechanga, the casino has redesigned its gaming floor to ensure appropriate social distancing. There are two stories across which you can find slot games, including video reels, video keno, progressive jackpots, mystery jackpots, and more. 120 video poker machines are also scattered throughout the space. You’ll be able to find slot games that range from penny slots to high limit slots depending on how risky you are feeling on a given day.
New slot machines are added pretty frequently, so the floor is almost always shifting and changing from season to season. You can find classics and new and noteworthy slot machines at this time, with new and innovative titles on the way.
Here is our round-up of slots casinos in Southern California:
- Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage
- Augustine Casino
- Barona Resort & Casino
- Barstow Casino and Resort Project
- Cahuilla Casino
- Casino Pauma
- Fantasy Springs Casino
- Golden Acorn Casino
- Havasu Landing Resort & Casino
- Jamul Casino
- La Jolla Trading Post & Casino
- Morongo Travel Center
- Pala Casino Spa Resort
- Pechanga Resort & Casino
- Quechan Casino Resort
- Red Earth Casino
- San Manuel Casino
- Soboba Casino
- Spotlight 29 Casino
- Tortoise Rock Casino
- Valley View Casino
- Viejas Casino
California Slots Casinos FAQ
Yes. Even though you technically earn that money on tribal grounds, you’ll still need to pay taxes on it at the end of the year.
The National Indian Gaming Commission is responsible for most casino regulation, except for a few high-stakes games and tournaments.
Mostly because California’s Native American tribes have made it difficult to pass pro-gambling legislation in the state senate, as it represents a big source of income for the tribes.
No. You can play Chumba Casino, LuckyLandSlots, and other sweepstakes slot sites, as these have you compete for digital currencies instead of real money.
Not likely anytime soon. Sports betting and other types of gambling legislation are more likely than slots gambling to come to fruition in the coming years.