California casinos are not what they seem. If you are new to California and have previously only experienced Atlantic City or Las Vegas style casinos, you will be surprised to learn about all of the new rules and formats at the majority of casinos here. Harrah’s Resort Southern California is in the minority when it comes to CA casinos, since it is almost the same as all major Las Vegas destinations. Other than a few small game differences, your general experience will be just about the same.

After opening its casino and some of its restaurants and bars on Friday, May 22, Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center opened limited room availability at its hotel as of Tuesday. Credit Application Harrah's Resort Southern California. Indicates field is required. Personal Information Personal Information. Caesars Rewards #. Member of judiciary or legislature, or an officer of a municipality or county in which casino gaming is authorized in New Jersey? Financial Information Financial Information. Whether you're looking for a weekend getaway or a San Diego Spa, come to Harrah's San Diego Resort & Casino! Click to see what Vegas-style action you can enjoy.

The resort itself is located in a somewhat desolate area that you will arrive at by driving up 12 miles of windy roads. Surprisingly, there are several other casinos in the nearby area, including Pala Casino, Pauma Casino, Valley View Casino, and Pechanga Casino. Each of these properties are located several miles from one another, but they are all within a roughly 20 minute drive. The area is able to sustain such a large casino industry because of its proximity to San Diego. Needless to say, Rincon is among the most popular in this area.

Casino at Harrah’s Southern California

The casino at Harrah’s SoCal is very modern and refined. When compared to just about any other Caesars Entertainment property, this one stands out in a very positive way. Unfortunately, over the years the majority of CET properties have steadily declined in just about every way possible. Harrah’s Southern California, however, is both newer and was also recently remodeled. When you walk in, you will feel like it is a brand new resort, and for all intents and purposes, it just about is.

Craps and Roulette at Harrah’s Rincon

The games available at Harrah’s Rincon are not limited, and include everything you would find at any major casino. With that said, there are some caveats worth mentioning. Even on Indian land as is the case with this casino, California laws prohibit the use of balls and dice in their games. For this reason, craps and roulette have significant tweaks. The craps tables allow dice to be thrown, but the result is then used to correlate with playing cards that are placed on the numbers to determine winners and losers. For a craps player, this is likely to become quite boring and annoying. You will not usually hear loud ruckus coming from Harrah’s Southern California craps tables like you would expect from other casinos.

Roulette works with a similar workaround to that of craps in order to circumvent the very odd California laws in place. Instead of a ball being rolled and landing on a number, the roulette wheel is spun and slaps playing cards one by one. You place your bet according to which one you think will be the final “slapped” card rather than where a ball will land. The roulette games is effectively the same thing as what you would find in other casinos, but if you are used to traditional roulette, it could certainly come off as very odd, because, well, it is.

Slot Machines at Harrah’s Rincon

There is an ample supply of slot machines at this casino and they make up the majority of the floor. The repeat clientele seems to primarily frequent these machines, and they cover around 80% of the floor as a whole. Even with this large number of games to choose from, on busy weekends, you may find it tough to get on a game. There is a video poker section that is located in the north east section of the casino (if you are entering from the front). The video poker games here do not pay particularly well, with 98% payback generally being the best that is available in the non-high limit sections.

Poker Room at Harrah’s Rincon

A poker room is also in operation at Harrah’s Southern California, but it is rare that more than a few games are running, and when they do, they will be low limits. For the most part, the games running are going to be $1/$2 NLHE and $2/$4 LHE. If you are looking to play higher stakes games in the nearby area, Pechanga will be your best option.

Bars and Dining at Harrah’s Southern California

For the size of the resort, there is a lot to choose from when it comes to bars and dining at Harrah’s SoCal. Everything from low end, late night food like Pink’s Hot Dogs to Fiore Steakhouse and Seafood are available. There is also a buffet that is frequently full, and is located in the dead middle of the casino action to the west side. In addition to these options, there is also a noodle bar named Fortunes and a street taco style restaurant that is named ‘Ritas Cantina. No matter the hour of the day or the type of food you are after, you will be able to find it at Harrah’s Resort Southern California.

In terms of bars, you will find two different primary destinations. The first bar is located just to the right of the beginning of the main casino floor. This is primarily a video poker bar with a few tables for seating. The video poker tables actually pay fairly since the drinks cannot be comped at this casino due to California laws. This goes for the Diamond Lounge also. Drinks are charged while the food is free. This is unlike Diamond Lounges in the majority of states where unlimited alcohol is included for free.

The other bar is located in the north area of the casino floor and is sports bar oriented. It too is loaded with the same video poker machines. Food can also be ordered at this bar. The bars are about equal in terms of general feel and experience, with no real differences between the two.

Hotel at Harrah’s Southern California

There are 1,065 total rooms at Harrah’s SoCal Resort. These rooms are split into two different towers, north and south, similar to the layout of another Caesars property, Planet Hollywood. In general the rooms are very nice, especially when compared to what you would find at your typical Caesars property. Renovations over the past few years have upgraded the rooms to be higher quality than you would even find in most Las Vegas casinos.

There are a number of upgraded rooms available, though they can be tough to secure since they are not in high supply. If you are a big player and/or reserve your room well in advance, you will have a better chance at landing a suite. These offer balcony’s and other amenities that standard rooms do not have.

Room rates, especially during the week and off season, are very reasonable. If you are visiting during the summer months, however, expect to pay a significant amount for a weekend visit. Since the San Diego weather is perfect for vacationing, the resort is typically jam packed throughout the summer weekends. There is a fitness center located in the lobby area of the hotel, right next to the entrance to the pool. A room key is required for entrance to the gym, and a number of different machines and equipment are available.

Pool at Harrah’s Southern California

The pool and swim up bar at this resort is one of its best selling features, especially during the warmer months of the year. Since Valley Center is located up in the mountains and desert, you will get all of the sun and heat that you can handle. This makes for perfect pool weather, and Harrah’s built a long, windy, lazy river style pool to accommodate. Kids and adults alike will fill the pool areas to the point where it can sometimes be hard to find an open seat.

The pool also offers a swim up bar right across from the lazy river section. During the summer, this is the most popular bar to visit, and they offer a number of unique drinks that you will not find at the bars inside the casino itself. If you are visiting and it is hot outside, we highly recommend checking out the pool, as its usage is included with your stay. If you would like, you can pay an extra charge for a cabana. Food and drinks can also be ordered from servers who are working around the pool area.

Harrah’s Resort Southern California is one of the most well-known casinos in the region, featuring a huge number of games, a popular event hall, and a luxury hotel. Operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation, it provides high-quality guest amenities and amusement. Below, we’ll go into detail about what Harrah’s Resort Southern California has to offer.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal Fact Table

Games To Play At Harrah’s Resort SoCal

Harrah’s Resort SoCal has a multitude of games for guests to enjoy, including slots, table games, poker, and more.

Table Games

Harrah’s Southern California resort is equipped with 61 table games, which is far more than local competitors. The games available include crowd favorites as well as Harrah’s-specific games, like:

• Blackjack
• Rincon Craps
• EZ Baccarat
• Asia Poker
• Fortune Pai Gow Progressive
• Mystery Card Roulette
• Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em

The casino also offers weekly blackjack tournaments, presenting an opportunity to win big prizes from large cash pools. Additionally, guests who are part of the Caesars Rewards program will receive points, special event invitations, and other rewards every time they play any table game.

Slots

Harrah’s Resort SoCal offers tons of different slot options for enthusiasts. Reel slots, video slots, and a wide variety of single and multilevel progressive slots can be found across the 55,000 ft.² casino floor. There are over 1,700 slots in total, including these favorites:

• Cash Machine
• Dragon Link
• Treasure Ball
• Buffalo Gold Revolution

Card Room

Harrah’s Resort SoCal Card Room is one of the most popular card rooms in the Southern California area. It has 12 poker tables, each with excellent seating and amenities. No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em is available for weekly tournaments and daily games. The daily tournaments normally run at 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm from Friday to Sunday with approachable buy-ins of $30 and $40.

Other Promotions

After all these activities, Harrah’s Resort SoCal also gives guests a ton of opportunities to take advantage of promotions. Promotions totaling $100,000 or more in cash and prizes are relatively common, so even frequent attendees of this casino will find new chances for interactivity and excitement.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal Events, Venue, And Eateries

Harrah’s Resort SoCal doesn’t skimp when it comes to events. In fact, the casino features a 23,000 ft.² event hall, which is a multi-use, versatile space that has hosted many famous names in the past. Former and upcoming guests including Amy Schumer, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Bill Burr, and Alice Cooper.

The event hall seats 2,200 guests and has excellent acoustics. As a result, it’s a perfect hall for concerts, comedy shows, and conventions. While Harrah’s Resort SoCal closed down like the majority of other entertainment venues during the coronavirus pandemic, the casino is rescheduling most of its major performers for the upcoming months.

Dining

Besides full-on events, Harrah’s Resort SoCal is also worth checking out because of its various eating establishments. There’s the Café, an open-space location that provides comfort food. Fiore is one of the best steakhouses in town, while Che Bello is famous for its pizza and Italian cuisine.

‘Ritas Cantina is a great option for Mexican dining. There’s also KJ Chinese Restaurant and Oyster Bar. Aside from these main eateries, the casino features several bars where you can grab a drink, socialize, or take a breather before heading back to the gaming floor.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal History

Harrah’s Resort SoCal operates under the same legal allowances as other tribal casinos in California. Since the casino is on tribal land, it isn’t subject to state laws that ban casino gambling.

The casino first opened in 2001 as Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort. In 2012, when the casino underwent a $160 million expansion, it also changed its name to Harrah’s Resort Southern California. The expansion saw the construction of the 403-room hotel tower and the 23,000 ft.² event center, all of which was completed in 2014.

In 2016, the Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians renamed the territory, on which the casino is built, as “Funner”. Overall, Harrah’s Resort SoCal’s history is a story of evolution, flexibility, and continuous growth.

Check out our complete Guide To California Tribal Casinos.

Harrah's Southern California Casino & Resort San Diego

Harrah’s Resort SoCal Tribal Casino FAQ

Harrah’s Resort SoCal requires you to be 21-years-old to gamble. While the legal gambling age in California is 18-years-old, the casino raises it to prevent underage drinkers from illegally acquiring alcohol.

Harrah's Casino San Diego

No. However, California tribes are pressuring state legislators to allow sports betting both for brick-and-mortar casinos. The earliest that this measure could appear on the ballot would be 2022.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal is regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission, which also regulates the gambling activities of other tribal casinos throughout the state.

Harrah’s Resort SoCal offers the Caesars Rewards card program. When you sign up for this card, you’ll be able to earn points just by enjoying activities at the casino. These points can be redeemed for rewards or prizes, or even discounts on your current stay!

Harrah’s often offers jackpots for certain occasions and on specific days. In December 2016, the casino’s “Year of the Millionaire” jackpot was won by a lucky man named Spencer B, who took home a giant check for $1 million.