Southern California’s San Manuel Band of Mission Indians last week revealed plans for a $500 million upgrade to its existing San Manuel casino that will include a 500-room hotel, entertainment center that can accommodate 4,000 and a 2,200-space parking structure. It will probably break ground in 2018 and be completed two years later.
The price makes this project by far the largest expansion to be announced in Southern California, which is in the midst of an arms race of large casino expansions that includes Pechanga, which is spending $285 million, Pala Casino which just broke ground on a $170 million expansion, and others.
San Manuel CEO Jerry Peresa told the San Bernardino Sun: “This project will add another segment of the market to San Manuel. Because of our proximity to the Los Angeles market, we have a lot of loyal patrons from within a 40-mile radius, and outside of it, too, who may want to stay here for a weekend rather than overnight.”
He added, “This offers them another amenity they might otherwise go elsewhere for. It’s going to have a direct impact on the local and regional economy.”
The 30-day public review on the process has two more weeks to go, at which point the tribe will release a Tribal Environmental Impact Report. This will be followed by a 45-day public review.
As part of the expansion the casino has replaced its bingo games with the Rock & Brew restaurant that was founded by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the band Kiss. Images of rock legends compete with TV screens playing concert footage and music videos. The bingo hall was once the second largest in the United States.
This move is intended to widen the casino’s appeal to a younger generation.
Loren Gill, general manager of the casino, commented last week: “We are out of the bingo business.” The tribe first opened its bingo hall in 1986. The building was 50,000 square feet. Eventually, however, slot machines replaced bingo as the main interest.
