Casinos | Valley Center-area hamlet’s new mayor is funnyman Martin Short By Karu F. Daniels April 2, 2024 at 7:49 p.m. Comedian Martin Short‘s next gig will be the mayor of Funner, California.The two-time Emmy Award-winning...
Casinos | Great Oak Steakhouse emerges from 7-month renovation with new features, staff By Charlie Vargas January 5, 2024 at 5:01 p.m. Part of the embrace of resort-style casinos in Southern California is its incorporation of fine...
Casinos | North County casino resort getting a $24M refresh – plus two new restaurants By Lori Weisberg December 18, 2023 at 1:31 p.m. The very first hotel rooms that were built years ago at Harrah's Resort Southern California...
Casinos | Area casinos planning holiday parties, concerts, dining specials and more By Pam Kragen December 19, 2023 at 4:43 p.m. San Diego-area casinos are a popular destination during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Although...
Casinos | Five tacos to try at Pechanga’s first Tacos & Tequila Festival By Charlie Vargas September 16, 2023 at 1:32 a.m. When chef Eric Celaya heard that Pechanga Resort Casino’s first Tacos & Tequila Festival was...
Casinos | Where to watch NFL game and score some food and drink specials at local casinos By Charlie Vargas September 15, 2023 at 12:54 p.m. With football season now under way, fans may be preparing to set up their fantasy...
Things to do | Live it up at these 5 casino pools during a staycation without the kids By Carlos Rico September 15, 2023 at 12:53 p.m. Adults looking to escape for a day to enjoy the San Diego sun or take...
Casinos | A peek at Pechanga Resort Casino’s dining options: Let us count the ways By Michael James Rocha April 22, 2023 at 9:05 p.m. In the last decade, casinos have bet big on a new kind of clientele: the...
Casinos | In unprecedented move, Rincon withdraws from California tribal gaming compact By Lauren J. Mapp June 22, 2023 at 9:43 p.m. A 500-member tribe in northern San Diego County has become the first in California to...
Casinos | Harrah’s latest restaurant, Salt & Fin, offers guests an immersive seafood dining experience By Pam Kragen December 9, 2022 at 1:31 p.m. Just three months after opening chef Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, one of the biggest restaurants...
Casinos | San Diego-area casinos planning holiday dining specials, entertainment and more By Pam Kragen December 9, 2022 at 5:58 p.m. San Diego-area casinos are a popular destination during the Christmas and New Year holidays. As...
Casinos | Hell’s Kitchen delivers a unique and tasty dining experience at Harrah’s Resort SoCal By Pam Kragen September 16, 2022 at 4:59 p.m. If you're looking for an intimate, quiet and inexpensive dining experience, then Gordon Ramsay's new...
Things to do | Alicia Keys’ SDSU concert postponed due to weather concerns; Kool & The Gang’s Pala gig moving indoors By George Varga September 9, 2022 at 7:24 p.m. The list of concerts in and near San Diego County that are being postponed because...
Casinos | Chef Gordon Ramsay dishes on his new Hell’s Kitchen restaurant near San Diego By Pam Kragen August 12, 2022 at 12:46 p.m. TV fans may not envy the beleaguered chef-testants that fiery British chef Gordon Ramsay verbally...
Things to do | Mocambo debuts at Dizzy’s; Dispatch to perform at SDSU; Johnny Mathis at Pechanga By George Varga July 15, 2022 at 5:56 p.m. The Mocambo Jazz EnsembleYoung jazz lions don't come much younger than 13-year-old San Diegan Kahlil...
Casinos | Sycuan’s newly opened Pink Buddha restaurant leads long list of Asian dining options at local casinos By Pam Kragen April 22, 2022 at 12:01 p.m. It's no secret that Asian people make up a large percentage of the visitors at...
Casinos | Bruce Willis halts acting career after diagnosis with cognitive disorder By Meg James March 31, 2022 at 1:42 p.m. Legendary "Die Hard" and "Pulp Fiction" actor Bruce Willis has ended his more than four-decade...
Casinos | Local casino chefs share their favorite Christmas food memories By Pam Kragen December 10, 2021 at 5:20 p.m. San Diegans already know that local casinos boast some of the largest restaurants in the...
Entertainment | Best bars to check out at 10 San Diego-area casinos By Jennifer Ianni September 24, 2021 at 12:01 p.m. From Pauma Valley to El Cajon, San Diego County has no shortage of casinos —...
Casinos | While only one buffet remains at local casinos, the big news is Gordon Ramsay’s headed for Harrah’s Resort SoCal By Pam Kragen July 18, 2021 at 8:04 p.m. When the pandemic arrived 16 months ago, the region's casinos sharply scaled back their restaurant...
Casinos | Harrah’s Resort SoCal says: Goodbye, buffets. Hello, Gordon Ramsay By Pam Kragen July 13, 2021 at 10:58 p.m. VALLEY CENTER — Fiery British chef Gordon Ramsay will open a 332-seat Hell's Kitchen restaurant next spring...
Casinos | Jamul Indian Village donates $75K for health needs By Karen Pearlman January 6, 2021 at 1:28 a.m. JAMUL — The Jamul Indian Village of California donated $75,000 at the end of 2020 to regional...
Casinos | Casinos focus on health and safety protocols By Ron Donoho December 13, 2020 at 2:01 p.m. Yes, you can still sit down at a blackjack table and try your luck at...
Casinos | Pandemic helps give rise to Pala’s Asian Gaming Room By Nicole Sours Larson December 13, 2020 at 2:01 p.m. Spurred by the popularity of pai gow poker and baccarat, the Pala Casino Spa &...
Casinos | Circa Resort & Casino opens in downtown Las Vegas By Ron Donoho December 13, 2020 at 2:01 p.m. In Las Vegas and throughout Southern California, the coronavirus hasn’t caused (safe) expansion to cease....
Casinos | Self-serve buffets move to all-you-can eat table service By Ron Donoho December 13, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. No more heaping bowls of shrimp. No piles of fried chicken, steam tables full of...
Casinos | Openings, renovations move forward at area’s casinos By Ron Donoho December 13, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. With health and safety measures being at the forefront, San Diego County’s 10 tribal casinos...
Casinos | What you need to know about the area’s 10 casinos By Ron Donoho May 10, 2022 at 10:17 p.m. Though the pandemic has curtailed certain activities and amenities, the San Diego-region’s 10 casinos are...
Casinos | Former Harrah’s manager files whistleblower lawsuit against Caesar Enterprise Services By Lauren J. Mapp September 10, 2020 at 12:18 a.m. A Harrah's Resort Southern California executive who resigned before the casino reopened in May has...
Casinos | Local tribes to receive $3.5 million in CARES Act funding for housing By Lauren J. Mapp September 9, 2020 at 4:43 p.m. Four San Diego County tribes will receive a total of $3.5 million from the U.S....
Casinos | Tribal lawsuit reveals Sheriff threatened to block access to reservations By Lyndsay Winkley September 8, 2020 at 4:47 p.m. A lawsuit filed by one of the county’s tribes reveals that COVID-19 was already spreading...
Casinos | Need a quarter? Good luck. Nationwide coin shortage leaves local businesses scrounging for change By Pam Kragen August 15, 2020 at 12:46 p.m. It was sometime in June when Jill Barrett, interim general manager at Harrah's Resort Southern...
Things to do | Pechanga cancels concerts for the rest of 2020 By Michael James Rocha June 25, 2020 at 6:19 p.m. Pechanga Resort Casino has announced it is canceling concerts for the rest of the year,...
Casinos | Casino Pauma to reopen on Friday By Pam Kragen June 9, 2020 at 12:01 p.m. Casino Pauma announced plans Monday to reopen its doors at the end of this week,...
Casinos | Will casino buffets ever return? Three local gaming spots are testing sit-down option By Pam Kragen June 8, 2020 at 8:35 p.m. As competition for visitor dollars has heated up between local casinos in recent years, one...
Casinos | Governor appeals to tribes to reconsider their decisions to reopen casinos By Andrea Lopez-Villafaña May 17, 2020 at 1:26 a.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom has appealed to San Diego County's tribal governments to reconsider their decisions...
Casinos | Tribes face cultural, economic hardships amid coronavirus stay-home orders By Lauren J. Mapp September 29, 2022 at 3:24 a.m. From smallpox to the 1918 flu pandemic, Native Americans have been decimated by viral outbreaks....
Casinos | San Diego companies taking measures to wrestle with the coronavirus By Phillip Molnar March 6, 2020 at 3:55 a.m. Concern over the coronavirus has quickly become a priority for San Diego companies, which manage...
Casinos | Employee spotlight: Giving away Sycuan’s money is ‘incredibly rewarding’ By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. The holidays are when people pull out their holiday cheer — and their wallets.Whether motivated...
Casinos | Agua Caliente building new Palms Spring-area casino, 10,000-seat arena; Vegas dining heats up By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. There are more changes afoot for the areas where San Diegans love to play around...
Casinos | Casino steakhouse wine lists put cheer in holiday season By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. Is it a coincidence that red and white are two of the colors associated with...
Casinos | What’s new at San Diego-area casinos: national kudos, exec plucked from Vegas, cheap gas and more lobster By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. There's always something new and notable happening at the San Diego region's casinos. Here's a...
Casinos | Here’s the deal on the San Diego-area’s 10 casinos By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.comThe deal: A full-scale casino...
Casinos | Casinos give back through charitable donations By Michele Parente December 1, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. It's hard to miss all the hoopla associated with the San Diego-area's casinos, whether it's...
Casinos | Everything you need to know about Las Vegas’ latest reinvention, from Eataly to Lady Gaga and the NoMad By Michele Parente September 9, 2019 at 11:10 p.m. Like a pop star, Las Vegas is continually reinventing itself.Over the years, Sin City has...
Casinos | What you need to know about the 10 San Diego-area casinos By Michele Parente September 8, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.comThe deal: A full-scale casino...
Casinos | Playing around: Here’s what’s new in Las Vegas and at SoCal casinos By Michele Parente September 9, 2019 at 8:38 p.m. From a new SoCal casino resort to an ultra-glam VIP way to play and Las...
Casinos | Casinos put the sizzle in red-hot burger trend By Michele Parente September 8, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. For the past few years, lobster has been the red-hot attraction at many San Diego...
Casinos | Lavish casino hotel suites offer taste of the sweet life By Michele Parente September 8, 2019 at 1:01 p.m. Some have full living and dining rooms, kitchens, walk-in closets, soaker tubs and rain showers...
Casinos | What’s new at San Diego casinos: restaurants, beer, mobile apps and menu changes By Michele Parente September 8, 2019 at 12:05 p.m. If the cascading indoor water wall on the gaming floor of Valley View Casino &...
Casinos | Sycuan general manager out only months after $260 million expansion By Michele Parente September 5, 2019 at 10:43 p.m. Less than six months after the completion of its $260 million expansion, Sycuan Casino Resort's...
Casinos | Employee Spotlight: Pala hotel VP unlocks key to high-level hospitality By Michele Parente September 4, 2019 at 5:09 p.m. Like a chef who doesn't want to go out to dinner on her day off...
Casinos | Valley View casino completes $50 million expansion, renovation By Michele Parente July 3, 2019 at 1:07 p.m. San Diego’s unprecedented five-year casino building boom culminates today with the unveiling of Valley View...
Casinos | Sycuan’s swanky Bull and Bourbon steakhouse is a cut above By Michele Parente May 31, 2019 at 2:20 a.m. Something is clicking in El Cajon. Make that Clique-ing. Trendy, Las-Vegas-based Clique Hospitality was hired...
Casinos | Your guide to the San Diego-area’s 10 casinos By Michele Parente May 29, 2019 at 2:08 a.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.com.The deal: A full-scale casino...
Casinos | Casino VIPs find pampering and privacy in high-limit rooms By Michele Parente April 28, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. Barona: HAVE PHOTOIn notesSycuan: HAVE PHOTOOur new high-limit room is in the newly expanded gaming...
Casinos | What’s new and noteworthy at San Diego casinos: a poker room, bigger buffet and more By Michele Parente April 28, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. The San Diego-area’s 10 casinos are in constant motion — and not just because they’re...
Casinos | Four San Diego eateries bet on Las Vegas By Michele Parente June 1, 2019 at 1:24 a.m. Four San Diego restaurants are betting that their popularity at home can play well in...
Casinos | Sycuan opens new $260 million hotel resort By Michele Parente March 27, 2019 at 11:40 p.m. The grand opening today of Sycuan’s $260 million hotel resort marks two momentous milestones in...
Casinos | Pechanga sommelier not afraid to take risks in life and wine pairing By Michele Parente March 1, 2019 at 2:51 a.m. Whether he’s jumping out of a plane or pairing wine with dessert, Mark Amodeo has...
Casinos | Sycuan Casino to add Hodad’s, Phil’s BBQ, other iconic San Diego eateries By Michele Parente January 16, 2019 at 2:08 p.m. Sycuan Casino hasn’t gone totally Vegas, baby.Casino officials today will announce that the iconic San...
Casinos | Amid fierce casino competition, Pala replaces its CEO By Michele Parente January 11, 2019 at 12:46 a.m. Pala Casino Spa & Resort, which has been showing signs of struggling in the ultra-competitive...
Casinos | Sycuan Casino joins with hip Vegas group on new, high-end amenities By Michele Parente January 3, 2019 at 12:28 a.m. What happens in Vegas is coming to El Cajon.Three months before it opens its first...
Casinos | Casino expansion news: Sycuan, Viejas and Pala By Michele Parente December 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. An update on casino expansion projects around town:Sycuan CasinoWith an eye toward March 2019, Sycuan...
Casinos | What you need to know about the San Diego-area’s 10 casinos By Michele Parente February 15, 2019 at 2:05 a.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.com.The deal: A full-scale casino...
Casinos | San Diego casinos get into the holiday spirit with festive cocktails By Michele Parente December 3, 2018 at 11:04 p.m. Pull up a seat at the bar, San Diego: area casinos are getting into the...
Casinos | What to give your favorite casino-goer? Get lucky at the gift shop By Michele Parente December 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. Your husband loves playing the resort’s golf course. Your best friend is obsessed with the...
Casinos | Casinos bet big on a new demographic: RV campers By Michael James Rocha December 2, 2018 at 4:37 p.m. Some call it camping, others call it glamping. Whatever you call it, RV camping is...
Casinos | For Harrah’s Resort SoCal bartender, crafting the perfect cocktail requires a lot of tasty trial and error By Michele Parente December 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. One in an occasional series spotlighting casino employeesA rough day at the “office” for Grace...
Casinos | Desert heats up with new casino hotels, expansions By Michele Parente December 2, 2018 at 2:13 p.m. San Diego isn’t the only place undergoing a casino expansion boom. Two big Palm Springs-area...
Casinos | Agua Caliente an oasis of calm, class in the desert By Michele Parente December 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. “Can I bring you some dry towels?” I’m asked by the pool boy after returning...
Casinos | Sycuan starts hiring for 700 jobs By Michele Parente September 18, 2018 at 8:54 p.m. Sycuan Casino on Thursday will hold the first in a series of job fairs, kicking...
Casinos | Here’s a first look at Sycuan’s new hotel By Michele Parente September 12, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. With six months to go before Sycuan Casino opens its first hotel resort, one of...
Casinos | Pechanga casino’s entertainment manager knows what fans – and stars – want By Michele Parente September 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. One in an occasional series spotlighting casino employeesAs the entertainment manager for Pechanga Resort &...
Casinos | Here’s the deal at the San Diego-area’s 10 casinos By Michele Parente September 27, 2018 at 12:59 a.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.com.The deal: A full-scale casino...
Casinos | Pala casino’s splashy expansion, remodel By Michele Parente September 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Here’s an update on casino expansion projects.Pala Casino Spa & ResortJust in time for the...
Casinos | Music and comedy take the stage at San Diego casino venues By Michele Parente September 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Cue the curtain, San Diego — it’s showtime!Every week, the region’s casinos play host to...
Casinos | The best casino spa treatments for sun-parched skin By Michele Parente September 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. We don’t have to tell you it’s been blazing hot this summer.But we do have...
Casinos | Quick casino bites for gamers on the go By Michele Parente September 12, 2018 at 5:37 p.m. You’re hungry, but the blackjack table beckons.Do you brave the line at the casino buffet,...
Casinos | Jamul Casino update: New name, offerings By Michele Parente September 2, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. What’s in a name?For the Jamul Indian Village, the rebranding of Hollywood Casino to Jamul...
Casinos | San Manuel Casino expansion heats up already hot SoCal market By Michele Parente July 26, 2018 at 12:27 a.m. San Manuel Casino will break ground today on a $550 million expansion that will elevate...
Casinos | Pechanga using security robots to monitor casino resort By Michele Parente July 9, 2018 at 11:09 p.m. Casinos are notoriously one of the most surveilled places you can go, with every inch...
Casinos | Hollywood rebrands as Jamul Casino By Michele Parente May 29, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. The Hollywood sign has come down. In Jamul, that is.As of today, Hollywood Casino Jamul-San...
Casinos | Sycuan marks near-completion of first hotel By Michele Parente May 22, 2018 at 11:42 p.m. Sycuan Casino, which opened in 1983 as a modest bingo hall clad in aluminum siding,...
Casinos | Pala opens new pool complex, kicking off summer casino resort season By Michele Parente May 19, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Summer at San Diego-area casino resorts unofficially kicks off today with the opening of Pala...
Casinos | It’s taco-mania at Sycuan in May By Michele Parente May 3, 2018 at 7:43 p.m. Tacos might have originated as street food but there’s nothing humble about the three taco...
Casinos | Craving Asian food? At local casinos, you’re in luck By Pam Kragen April 29, 2018 at 1:26 p.m. Regardless of where you go to gamble in Southern California, you’ll notice a growing number...
Casinos | By design, Viejas’ new hotel offers a calming escape from the busy casino floor By Michael James Rocha April 29, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. For Stephanie Lee, good hospitality design comes down to two key factors: respecting the wishes...
Casinos | What you need to know about the 10 San Diego-area casinos By Michele Parente August 22, 2018 at 9:44 p.m. Barona Resort & Casino1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside. (619) 443-2300. barona.com. Shuttle information: barona.com/about-barona/directions-and-transportation/shuttle-scheduleThe deal:...
Casinos | High-tech 4D slot machine debuts at San Diego casinos By Michele Parente April 29, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Welcome to the future of slot machines. Now watch out for flying coins.In late February,...
Casinos | Barona, Pechanga and Viejas unveil expansions By Michele Parente April 29, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. There’s been a lot of action at three San Diego-area casinos in recent months, and...
Casinos | 24 hours at Pechanga: Gambling, eating, pampering and yoga By Michele Parente April 29, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Pechanga Resort & Casino is no place for indecisive types. Or is it?With the completion...
Casinos | Casino players clubs: loyalty has its perks By Michele Parente April 29, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Straights, flushes, full houses, royals — at the poker table, it’s all about the cards.No...
Casinos | Pechanga festival is a chocolate lovers’ paradise By Michele Parente March 8, 2018 at 12:59 p.m. Imagine a giant room filled with 50,000 chocolate desserts where you can eat as many...
Casinos | Is San Diego’s casino industry over-saturated? By Michele Parente March 3, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Though the sun was shining Friday morning, officials from the Pechanga Resort & Casino had...
Casinos | Viejas opens new luxury hotel, spa By Michele Parente February 2, 2018 at 12:20 a.m. Viejas Casino today officially opened the Willows Hotel & Spa, an adults-only, all-suites luxury property...
Casinos | Pechanga Indian tribe buys La Jolla-owned Temecula golf resort By Michele Parente January 27, 2018 at 12:56 a.m. Pechanga’s massive growth spurt has spread beyond the casino.On Friday, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño...
Casinos | Sycuan Casino adding 700+ jobs By Michele Parente January 24, 2018 at 1:08 p.m. The San Diego area's $1 billion casino building boom is a boon for job seekers....
Casinos | New Viejas hotel to offer elevated luxury By Michele Parente January 15, 2018 at 8:53 p.m. Alexa: What’s the name of a casino hotel that’s more like a luxury boutique property?...
Casinos | Pechanga looking to hire nearly 200 more By Michele Parente January 3, 2018 at 2:02 a.m. In anticipation of the March opening of its mega pool complex, Pechanga Resort & Casino...