On February 25, 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that neither the state of California nor Riverside County could regulate the bingo and card game operations of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians set in motion a series of federal and state actions–including two ballot propositions–that dramatically expanded tribal casino operations in California and other states. In 1995, a new building was constructed for the bingo and card games, and slot machines were introduced. The new casino was called
Casino Morongo and included a dance hall, bowling alley, and diner. California Proposition 1A, also known as the Gambling on Tribal Lands Amendment, was on the March 7, 2000, ballot in California, where it was approved with a 64% win. It authorized the governor to negotiate compacts with federally recognized Indian tribes on Indian lands in California to operate slot machines, lotteries and banking and percentage card games, subject to legislative ratification. The Jerde Partnership announced the official groundbreaking for the Morongo Hotel on May 28, 2003. Perini Building Company topped-out the resort on March 31, 2004. The $250-million Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, which opened on December 10, 2004, is one of the largest tribal gaming facilities in the nation. Casino Morongo closed for gaming in 2004, and reopened in 2018 as a separate casino due to an expansion project at the larger casino, displacing 300 slot machines. ==Facilities==