Tribal Gaming · The list
Largest California Tribal Casinos
Every Nevada-style casino in California belongs to a tribe; here is where the biggest resorts sit, who owns them and what to check before visiting.
Photograph by Nandaro via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
California's largest casinos are tribal resorts: Yaamava', Pechanga and Morongo in Southern California, and Graton, Thunder Valley and Cache Creek in Northern California. Each is owned by a federally recognized tribe and operates under a gaming compact with the state.
California's Major Tribal Casino Resorts
There is no official state ranking of casinos by size, and properties measure their gaming space in different ways, so the list below is a set of major resorts rather than a scorecard. Figures are the ones the properties or reliable reporting give at the time of writing; several resorts have expanded in recent years, so check each property's own site for current details.
| Casino | Location | Owning tribe | What it offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaamava' Resort & Casino | Highland, San Bernardino County | Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (San Manuel Band of Mission Indians) | 17-story, 432-room hotel tower; Yaamava' Theater, a concert venue of about 3,000 seats |
| Pechanga Resort Casino | Temecula, Riverside County | Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians | About 200,000 sq ft of smoke-free gaming space; about 1,100 hotel rooms; golf course |
| Morongo Casino Resort & Spa | Cabazon, Riverside County | Morongo Band of Mission Indians | 27-story hotel on a 44-acre site; spa; golf club |
| Graton Resort & Casino | Rohnert Park, Sonoma County | Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria | Smoke-free casino wing opened in May 2026 with about 2,000 more slot machines; more hotel rooms planned |
| Thunder Valley Casino Resort | Lincoln, Placer County | United Auburn Indian Community | More than 3,000 slot machines, table games, poker and bingo; hotel; concert venues |
| Cache Creek Casino Resort | Brooks, Yolo County | Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation | More than 2,300 slot machines and 80 table games; 659 hotel rooms; 18-hole golf course |
Casino Locations and Ownership
The biggest cluster sits in the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley, within driving distance of Los Angeles and San Diego. Other large tribal casinos in the region include those of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. In the north, the major resorts ring Sacramento and the Bay Area.
Large card clubs near Los Angeles, such as the Commerce Casino and The Bicycle Casino, are not tribal casinos. They are state-licensed cardrooms, regulated by the California Gambling Control Commission and the Attorney General's Bureau of Gambling Control, and they do not offer slot machines or house-banked games in the Nevada style. Under Proposition 1A, only tribes with compacts may run Nevada-style casino games in California.
What Casino-Goers Need to Know
Before settling on a "largest" casino, travelers should be aware of some key details. Minimum ages are set by each tribe under its compact and house rules rather than by one statewide number: many large resorts require guests to be 21 to gamble, while some smaller tribal casinos admit players from 18. Check the property's posted policy and bring a valid government photo ID. Game offerings, smoking rules and hotel details also change, so the casino's official site is the best source before a trip. This page is general information and does not rank or recommend any property.
Anyone worried about their own or a family member's gambling can call California's Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).
This article is general information about the law as it stood at the time of writing, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the official source before you act.
