Yaamava' Resort & Casino

Yaamava' Resort and Casino is an Indian casino on the San Manuel Reservation located in San Bernardino, California. It is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

History
The original San Manuel Indian Bingo opened on July 24, 1986. In 1994, the bingo hall was expanded to a casino with slot machines and card games. The facility was renamed San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino. Further expansion occurred with the passage of Proposition 5 in 1998 and Proposition 1A in 2000, which authorized the state to sign compacts with Indian tribal governments to expand tribal gaming. The bingo hall was closed in 2017 and replaced with slot machines.

In a case regarding unionization of the casino's employees, the Federal Court of Appeals found, "for many years, the Tribe had no resources, and many of its members depended on public assistance. As a result of the Casino, however, the Tribe can now boast full employment, complete medical coverage for all members, government funding for scholarships, improved housing, and significant infrastructure improvements to the reservation." Some employees are members of the Communication Workers of America Local 9000.

In 2021, the facility was renamed Yaamava' Resort and Casino at San Manuel, in conjunction with opening a 432-room, 17-story hotel tower. Yaamava is the Serrano word for "spring" and the tribe has stated it is a metaphor for rebirth of the casino. Another reason for the name change was to disambiguate the efforts of the San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority, the entity which runs Yaamava' as well as the Palms Casino Resort, which the tribe purchased in 2021 and reopened in 2022. In March 2022, Yaamava's entertainment chief, Drew Dixon, signed a partnership with Live Nation to book touring artists during time off from their tours. It was reported by the Los Angeles Times that Yaamava' pays millions of dollars to artists to play there, comparable to the amount they earn at arena shows. The next month, the Yaamava Theater opened a 3,000-seat concert venue with a 3,800-square-foot stage. The inaugural act was the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Overnight guests who cannot be accommodated at Yaamava' can stay at the Bear Springs Hotel, approximately two miles away, also owned by the tribe. The hotel was the designated overnight accommodations for the casino prior to the opening of the resort.

Casino
With over 7,200 slot machines, Yaamava' Resort and Casino has the most slot machines of any casino in the Western United States. The casino also offers blackjack, baccarat, pai gow poker, Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em.