CABAZON (CBSLA) — A long line of guests waited to get into Morongo Casino and Spa after it reopened Friday afternoon.
The casino along the 10 Freeway between the Los Angeles and Palm Springs opened its doors at 2 p.m., after shutting down in March to help slow the spread of coronavirus.
“We’ve been looking forward to having our guests back with us for weeks now,” Simon Farmer, Morongo’s executive director of marketing said. “Our guests have been reaching out to us for the last two months, texting, emailing, and calling. They’re excited, we’re excited. It’s gonna be a great day.”
But with coronavirus cases still on the rise throughout the country, Morongo Casino guests will see some major changes. When they arrive, they’ll be asked to wear a mask and will have to undergo a temperature check at the door. Social distancing will be observed with slot machines spaced out or separated by partitions, and seats will be removed from table games to lower the capacity. The casino’s cleaning team will be out and about at all times and on an “aggressive cleaning schedule,” Farmer said.
“We want to go above and beyond to make sure that our guests feel comfortable coming back to Morongo,” he said.
The casino’s popular steakhouse, Cielo, will not be open Friday, but will open within the next week, Farmer said. However, the cafe and food court will be open for business, along with Morongo’s new expansion.
Farmer said Morongo will have teams in and out out of the casino to help monitor the crowd and manage the flow of traffic, and that they’re prepared for anyone who doesn’t want to follow the rules.
“We understand there’s some people that may not come prepared with a mask, may not come prepared to go through a screening,” he said.
Morongo Casino Resort And Spa
If there’s anyone unwilling to comply with the new rules, “we’ll have the conversation to invite them back later,” Farmer said.
Is Casino Morongo Open Today
Those who arrived Friday to gamble at Morongo were ecstatic.
“If we’re safe at the grocery store with a mask then we’re safe here with a mask, right?” said Riverside resident Stephanie Christian.
Casino Morongo Table Games Open Friday and Saturday 4pm to 12am Sunday 2pm to 10pm Proving that you can always go home again, the original Casino Morongo is back with slots, bingo, bowling, food and fun in a beautifully redecorated and fully renovated venue. Morongo Casino Resort and Spa Jobs Welcome to Employment Center. Team Members at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa share a passion for hospitality and respect for guests and fellow Team Members. We believe working at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa is more than a job - it’s a commitment to service and a lasting and fulfilling career in hospitality. A Premier Destination in California Casinos Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa: A Luxury Southern California Hotel and Casino An enticing oasis sprawled across 44 scenic acres at the foothills of California’s brilliant San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, Morongo Casino Resort. Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is an Indian gaming casino, of the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians, located in Cabazon, California, United States, near San Gorgonio Pass.The casino has 310 rooms and suites. A 44-acre (180,000 m 2), 27-story resort, Morongo is one of the largest casinos in California.At 330 feet (101 m) high, the casino tower is the tallest building in both Riverside.
“We just wanted to get a taste of normalcy again and see what it’s like to be inside a business that’s running semi-normally at least. I mean you gotta wear these muzzles, I mean, masks,” said L.A. resident David Hakimfar. “But we’re doing our best.”