by: Catherine Nguyen
In the past couple of years, a gambling craze has swept through Southern California and unleashed a new social interest in gaming.
Poker tournaments are commonplace on campus and more and more college students are jet-setting to Vegas to enjoy a weekend of decadent fun in Sin City. With its bright lights and shiny promises, Vegas is certainly the place where dreams are both made and broken, and is what most people think of when they want to have a bit of high-rolling fun. However, if you can’t break away to Vegas, don’t worry—there’s still plenty of casino fun to be had around here, more than people realize.
For those who are 18 and over, Morongo Resort and Casino is a good place to visit. Because I haven’t turned 21 yet, I decided to go and visit Morongo to see what they offered. Located about 20 minutes west of Palm Springs, it is one of the closest casinos to UC Irvine, which is its main appeal.
The self-proclaimed “perfect alternative to Vegas,” Morongo has the look of a sleek, high-rise hotel, and its casino offers a private poker room, regular bingo, lots of slot machines and table games like blackjack, California-style craps (where cards are used instead of dice) and Pai Gow. Morongo also offers a small arcade, a bar and lounge (which stops serving alcohol at 1:30 a.m.), dining (including a food court and buffet) and the Key Club, a nightclub and entertainment venue. One of Morongo’s strong points is its relaxed atmosphere: for the most part, the staff is friendly and makes your visit enjoyable.
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino is located further away, east of San Diego, but it is well worth the trip. Barona is larger than Morongo and evokes more of the “Vegas-style” luxury despite its western-ranch décor. Besides the regular games, Barona also offers off-track betting on horse racing, conducted on multiscreens in a private room. Barona has hotel and dining accommodations on the ranch, and also offers golfing for those that are interested in teeing off to relax.
If you are 21 and over, you have a lot more options to choose from in the area. For instance, Jabiz Zolfaghari, a fourth-year psychology and social behavior major, likes Hawaiian Gardens Casino the most because of its proximity to Irvine.
Hustler Casino, owned by Larry Flynt, is geared toward men between the ages of 21 and 42. It utilizes the Las Vegas sex appeal to attract guests, and employs an attractive staff for that purpose. Commerce Casino in Los Angeles calls itself the “Poker Capital of the World,” having 243 gaming tables, so if you like poker, this is the place for you.
So you get to the casino, but now what? Beginners should be wary when gambling for the first time. Slot machines are the easiest thing to do, but if you want to play at the tables, start off slow.
Being an amateur gambler, myself, Blackjack is simple to play, and there are usually tables with cheap buy-ins. Inexperienced poker players should be especially careful, and should learn to play well before jumping in. Experienced players are always looking to prey on someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Jerome Anaya, a fourth-year criminology, law and society major, does not recommend playing craps.
“[It looks fun, but is] complicated and fast paced,” Anaya said. His major warning to first-timers: “Expect to lose. … This town was built on a few winners and a whole lot of losers. You lose more often than you win [so] only bet what you can lose.”
At the same time, you have to play to gain experience and win, so the best thing to do is to designate a certain amount of money that you are willing to lose and make sure to walk away after it’s gone.
So what is it about gambling that draws people in so quickly? When the risk of losing is so great, what is its classic, timeless appeal?
For Anaya, the thrill of winning is the appeal.
“Money won is twice as good as money earned,” Anaya stated. “It’s a thrill winning money without working for it, [and] winning money for fun.”
As the gambling frenzy grows in Southern California, the question remains of what exactly will happen next.
“I think it will keep booming and get bigger and bigger,” predicted Chris Purkey, a fourth-year political science major.
With tournaments like the World Poker Tour being publicized in the media and the vast number of online poker sites to draw viewers (and gamblers) in, this is not a fad that will go away easily, or soon.
Anaya agreed, predicting that more casinos will open and the casino industry in Southern California will grow through new taxation. However, he believes that it will never compare to Las Vegas, where the image of the sleek casino living grew up.
“I don’t think it’ll ever rival Vegas [because Vegas] has the tradition,” Anaya said.
Regardless of what happens, you should have fun and enjoy yourself.
“Keep in control, set a limit. Keep it fun … [it’s] not a lifestyle,” Purkey advised.
Beyond that, play well, bet big and live life like the high roller you were meant to be.
In the past couple of years, a gambling craze has swept through Southern California and unleashed a new social interest in gaming.
Poker tournaments are commonplace on campus and more and more college students are jet-setting to Vegas to enjoy a weekend of decadent fun in Sin City. With its bright lights and shiny promises, Vegas is certainly the place where dreams are both made and broken, and is what most people think of when they want to have a bit of high-rolling fun. However, if you can’t break away to Vegas, don’t worry—there’s still plenty of casino fun to be had around here, more than people realize.
For those who are 18 and over, Morongo Resort and Casino is a good place to visit. Because I haven’t turned 21 yet, I decided to go and visit Morongo to see what they offered. Located about 20 minutes west of Palm Springs, it is one of the closest casinos to UC Irvine, which is its main appeal.
The self-proclaimed “perfect alternative to Vegas,” Morongo has the look of a sleek, high-rise hotel, and its casino offers a private poker room, regular bingo, lots of slot machines and table games like blackjack, California-style craps (where cards are used instead of dice) and Pai Gow. Morongo also offers a small arcade, a bar and lounge (which stops serving alcohol at 1:30 a.m.), dining (including a food court and buffet) and the Key Club, a nightclub and entertainment venue. One of Morongo’s strong points is its relaxed atmosphere: for the most part, the staff is friendly and makes your visit enjoyable.
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino is located further away, east of San Diego, but it is well worth the trip. Barona is larger than Morongo and evokes more of the “Vegas-style” luxury despite its western-ranch décor. Besides the regular games, Barona also offers off-track betting on horse racing, conducted on multiscreens in a private room. Barona has hotel and dining accommodations on the ranch, and also offers golfing for those that are interested in teeing off to relax.
If you are 21 and over, you have a lot more options to choose from in the area. For instance, Jabiz Zolfaghari, a fourth-year psychology and social behavior major, likes Hawaiian Gardens Casino the most because of its proximity to Irvine.
Hustler Casino, owned by Larry Flynt, is geared toward men between the ages of 21 and 42. It utilizes the Las Vegas sex appeal to attract guests, and employs an attractive staff for that purpose. Commerce Casino in Los Angeles calls itself the “Poker Capital of the World,” having 243 gaming tables, so if you like poker, this is the place for you.
So you get to the casino, but now what? Beginners should be wary when gambling for the first time. Slot machines are the easiest thing to do, but if you want to play at the tables, start off slow.
Being an amateur gambler, myself, Blackjack is simple to play, and there are usually tables with cheap buy-ins. Inexperienced poker players should be especially careful, and should learn to play well before jumping in. Experienced players are always looking to prey on someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Jerome Anaya, a fourth-year criminology, law and society major, does not recommend playing craps.
“[It looks fun, but is] complicated and fast paced,” Anaya said. His major warning to first-timers: “Expect to lose. … This town was built on a few winners and a whole lot of losers. You lose more often than you win [so] only bet what you can lose.”
At the same time, you have to play to gain experience and win, so the best thing to do is to designate a certain amount of money that you are willing to lose and make sure to walk away after it’s gone.
So what is it about gambling that draws people in so quickly? When the risk of losing is so great, what is its classic, timeless appeal?
For Anaya, the thrill of winning is the appeal.
“Money won is twice as good as money earned,” Anaya stated. “It’s a thrill winning money without working for it, [and] winning money for fun.”
As the gambling frenzy grows in Southern California, the question remains of what exactly will happen next.
“I think it will keep booming and get bigger and bigger,” predicted Chris Purkey, a fourth-year political science major.
With tournaments like the World Poker Tour being publicized in the media and the vast number of online poker sites to draw viewers (and gamblers) in, this is not a fad that will go away easily, or soon.
Anaya agreed, predicting that more casinos will open and the casino industry in Southern California will grow through new taxation. However, he believes that it will never compare to Las Vegas, where the image of the sleek casino living grew up.
“I don’t think it’ll ever rival Vegas [because Vegas] has the tradition,” Anaya said.
Regardless of what happens, you should have fun and enjoy yourself.
“Keep in control, set a limit. Keep it fun … [it’s] not a lifestyle,” Purkey advised.
Beyond that, play well, bet big and live life like the high roller you were meant to be.