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Introduction to California Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

California slot machine casino gambling consists of 65 tribal casinos, the third-largest number of casinos in any U.S. state after Nevada and Oklahoma.

I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.

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Slot Machines San Francisco

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in California*

The minimum legal gambling age in California depends upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 18 or, if serving alcohol, 21
• Poker Rooms: 18 or, if serving alcohol, 21
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Slot Machine Private Ownership in California

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in California if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in California

The California Gambling Control Commission supports the regulation of tribal gaming through oversight activities as defined in California’s 61 tribal-state compacts.

Further, the Bureau of Gambling Control within California’s Department of Justice provides state law enforcement authority with jurisdiction over gambling activities.

Non-slots-related gaming control boards include the California Horse Racing Board and the California Lottery Commission.

Casinos in California

California has 65 American Indian tribal casinos, ten racetracks without gaming machines, numerous card rooms also without gaming machines, and cruise ships with onboard casinos to Hawaii, Alaska, and international destinations.

The largest casino in California is San Manuel Casino having 4,800 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Pechanga Resort Casino with 4,000 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in California

There are no commercial casinos with slot machines in California.

Tribal Casinos in California

California’s 65 tribal casinos are:

1. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Palm Springs, 115 miles east of Los Angeles.
2. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, 115 miles east of Los Angeles.
3. Augustine Casino in Coachella, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
4. Barona Resort & Casino in Lakeside, 15 miles northeast of San Diego.
5. Bear River Casino Resort in Loleta, 10 miles south of Eureka;
6. Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne, 100 miles southeast of Sacramento.
7. Blue Lake Casino Hotel in Blue Lake, 10 miles north of Eureka.
8. Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, 35 miles northwest of Sacramento.
9. Cahuilla Casino Hotel in Anza, 30 miles south of Palm Springs.
10. Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
11. Cher-Ae Heights Casino in Trinidad, 25 miles north of Eureka.
12. Chicken Ranch Casino in Jamestown, 100 miles southeast of Sacramento.
13. Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold, 35 miles north of Fresno.
14. Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, 40 miles northwest of Santa Barbara.
15. Colusa Casino Resort in Colusa, 75 miles north of Sacramento.
16. Coyote Valley Casino in Redwood Valley, 115 miles north of San Francisco.
17. Desert Rose Casino in Alturas, 100 miles north of Susanville.
18. Diamond Mountain Casino Hotel & Brewery in Susanville, 160 miles northeast of Sacramento.
19. Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville, 60 miles southeast of Fresno.
20. Elk Valley Casino in Crescent City, 84 miles north of Eureka.
21. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
22. Feather Falls Casino & Lodge in Oroville, 100 miles north of Sacramento.
23. Fort Independence Travel Center & Winnedumah Winns Casino in Independence, 90 miles east of Fresno.
24. Garcia River Casino in Point Arena, 130 miles north of San Francisco.
25. Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, 100 miles north of Sacramento.
26. Golden Acorn Casino Travel Center in Campo, 40 miles southeast of San Diego.
27. Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, 50 miles north of San Francisco.
28. Hard Rock Casino & Hotel Sacramento at Fire Mountain in Wheatland, 36 miles north of Sacramento.
29. Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
30. Havasu Landing Resort & Casino in Havasu Lake, 200 miles east of Los Angeles.
31. Hidden Oaks Casino in Covelo, 150 miles northwest of Sacramento.
32. Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in Jackson, 50 miles southeast of Sacramento.
33. Jamul Casino in Jamul, 10 miles east of San Diego.
34. Konocti Vista Casino Resort in Lakeport, 120 miles north of San Francisco.
35. Lucky 7 Casino Hotel in Smith River, 100 miles north of Eureka.
36. Mono Wind Casino in Auberry, 30 miles northeast of Fresno.
37. Morongo Casino Resort Spa in Cabazon, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
38. Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
39. Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, located 50 miles north of San Diego.
40. Pit River Casino in Burney, 190 miles north of Sacramento.
41. Quechan Casino Resort in Winterhaven, 170 miles east of San Diego.
42. Rain Rock Casino in Yreka, 250 miles north of Sacramento.
43. Red Earth Casino in Salton Sea Beach, 114 miles southeast of Riverside.
44. Red Fox Casino in Laytonville, 150 miles northwest of Sacramento.
45. Red Hawk Casino in Placerville, 40 miles east of Sacramento.
46. Redwood Hotel Casino in Klamath, 65 miles north of Eureka.
47. River Rock Casino in Geyserville, 75 miles north of San Francisco.
48. Robinson Rancheria Resort, Casino & Bingo in Nice, 115 miles northwest of Sacramento.
49. Rolling Hills Casino Resort in Corning, 115 miles north of Sacramento.
50. Running Creek Casino in Upper Lake, 120 miles northwest of Sacramento.
51. San Manuel Casino in Highland, located 65 miles east of Los Angeles.
52. San Pablo Lytton Casino in San Pablo, 15 miles north of Oakland.
53. Sherwood Valley Casino in Willits, 130 miles north of San Francisco.
54. Soboba Casino Resort in San Jacinto, 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
55. Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, 130 miles east of Los Angeles.
56. Sycuan Casino & Resort in El Cajon, 10 miles east of San Diego.
57. Table Mountain Casino in Friant, 15 miles north of Fresno.
58. Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, 50 miles south of Fresno.
59. Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, 35 miles northeast of Sacramento.
60. Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms, 125 miles east of Los Angeles.
61. Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in Middletown, 100 miles north of San Francisco.
62. Valley View Casino & Hotel in Valley Center, 35 miles northeast of San Diego.
63. Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, 25 miles east of San Diego.
64. Wanaaha Casino in Bishop, 130 miles northeast of Fresno.
65. Win-River Casino & Resort in Redding, 163 miles north of Sacramento.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying California slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering California is:

• North: Oregon Slots
• East: Nevada Slots and Arizona Slots
• South: The country of Mexico
• West: Pacific Ocean

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to California.

Our California Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in California? If so, join our California slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.

There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in California. Join us!

Payouts and Returns in California

Tribal-state gaming compacts negotiated between the state of California and its 61 tribes do not include theoretical payout limits nor require public reporting of return statistics.

Summary of California Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

California slot machine casino gambling consists of 65 tribal casinos generally located on remote tribal reservations throughout the state.

Annual Progress in California Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, Thunder Valley Casino Resort has fallen from second-largest casino to fourth largest after San Manuel Casino, Pechanga Resort Casino, and Graton Resort & Casino.

Also, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain has, at long last, opened.

Finally, one casino has permanently closed and another underwent a name change:

• Lucky Bear Casino in Hoopa has permanently closed.
• Paiute Palace Casino in Bishop is now the Wanaaha Casino.

Related Posts from Professor Slots

Other States from Professor Slots

• Previous: Arkansas Slot Machine Casino Gambling
• Next: Colorado Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

Introduction to Slot Machines Invented

In this post, I’ll do my best to answer the question, “Where Were Slot Machines Invented?” Between you and me, understanding the history of slot machine development provides us with invaluable insight into this entertainment device.

Armed with this knowledge, we can begin to understand what next technological advancements to expect. What follows is a brief chronological history of significant developments in slot machine technology.

Throughout, notice how slot machine popularity waxes and wanes alongside the governmental responses to this type of gambling. I’ll begin with Charles Fey in 1887 and finish with the invention of first video slot machines in 1994.

A multitude of other blogs will detail the technical development of slot machines from the mid-90s to today. They’ll have more detail due to their emphasis on current winning strategies.

Future topics are expected to include modern casino business operating software, players club programs, and techniques casinos use to foster gameplay by their patrons.

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Subscribe to my Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Amazon Audible | Gaana | Stitcher | Pandora | iHeart Radio | Tune-In | SoundCloud | RadioPublic | Deezer | RSS and everywhere else you find your podcasts!

Charles Fey and the First Slot Machine

The first place to answer “Where Were Slot Machines Invented?” begins in San Francisco. The Liberty Bell is arguably the first slot machine for gambling with automatic payouts.

It was invented in 1887 by Bavarian-born Charles Fey in San Francisco, California. This slot machine simulated the card game of poker, having three spinning reels each with five symbols: diamonds, hearts, horseshoes, spades, and an image of the Liberty Bell.

The highest jackpot, fifty cents or 10 nickels, occurred when all three reels showed a golden Liberty Bell. It was a massive success.

Fey is generally considered to be the “Father of Slots,” in part due to this invention. However, he’s also because he worked so hard to popularize the game.

For both these reasons, Charles Fey’s San Francisco workshop is a California Historical Landmark.

Bell Fruit Gum Slot Machines

Bell Fruit Gum slot machines were manufactured by Industry Novelty Company starting in 1907.

The reels on these machines included cherry, melon, orange, apple, and bar symbols. It had non-cash payouts in the form of fruit-flavored gum, allowing machine owners to avoid prosecution under the anti-gambling laws of that time.

The cherry and bar symbols became traditional to slot machines, and are still commonly used today. The bar symbol was the company logo of an early slot machine manufacturer.

I’ve written a detailed post on fruit machines, which can be found at Why Do Slot Machines Use Fruit?

By 1910, Worldwide Slots!

By 1910, slot machines could be found worldwide. Companies in Europe were mass producing 30,000 of them. In America, machines were installed in most cigar stores, saloons, bowling parlors, brothels, and barber shops.

Improvements immediately found in these slot machines were:

• Cast iron machines instead of wooden cabinets
• Improved mechanicals for back-to-back jackpots
• New coin acceptor developed to limit the use of fake coins
• Designed to be quieter

In 1909, new laws began to be introduced prohibiting slot machines from dispensing cash. These new restrictions resulted in slot machines having the aforementioned non-cash payouts of fruit-flavored gum.

Prohibition, The Golden Age of Slots

From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition existed in America. When we learn about the history of the United States, we’re generally taught that Prohibition was a time when the making, consumption, or supplying alcohol was illegal.

What generally isn’t taught in history class its consequence with regards to slots. Since slot machines were mainly found in bars and saloons, they moved to speakeasies alongside the distribution of alcohol – and returned to offering cash prizes.

So, as a result, during America’s Prohibition slot machine popularity increased even more.

How much? Well, the time of Prohibition is also referred to as the “Golden Age of Slots” due to this tremendously increased popularity.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada in 1931, due to the increasing popularity of gambling despite political pressure on the gaming industry. In the 1940s, slots were installed in Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel.

However, after World War II, municipalities began to be drawn by the prospect of tax revenue. A consequence of this governmental response was an exponential growth in the manufacturing and playing of slot machines which continued well into the 1960s.

Slot machine development advanced from a fully mechanical machine to an electromechanical device in 1963 with the Money Honey slot machine by Bally Technologies, a company formerly limited to the manufacturing of pinball machines.

Besides improving gameplay with all manner of flashing lights and sounds, electrical components allowed for multi-coin bets with higher payouts. Bally Technologies would continue to develop slot machine technologies for decades.

By 1970, Bally had added more reels and made coin-handling improvements to allow for more coins and higher denominations, resulting in more enormous jackpots for consumers. Bally went public in 1975, trading on the New York Stock Exchange as the first gaming company.

The first genuinely electronic slot machine, e.g., the video slot machine, was developed in 1976 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was placed in the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. It received approval from the state of Nevada, but only after additional security modifications were made against cheating.

Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey legalized gambling in 1978, by which time the Bally Technologies behemoth had cornered 90% of the market for slot machines. Bally continued to add reels, knowingly both decreasing the odds of winning but also increasing the size of jackpots.

Over time, the number of symbols per reel was increased to a maximum of 25 and wagers were raised to $5, $25, and eventually $100. Coins would continue to be provided during slot machine jackpots until they ultimately began being phased out in the 1990s.

U.S. Patent 4,448,419: The Random Number Generator

An answer to the question “Where Were Slot Machines Invented?” wouldn’t be complete without including an electronic board component commonly found in modern slot machines.

Bally Technologies hired a computer programmer to increase the size of jackpots without losing profits for the company. This improvement was accomplished by utilizing the concept of a random number generator (RNG).

As it is challenging to computer generate a truly random event – take it from me; I’m a physicist. So, sometimes the more accurate term pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) is used.

In any case, this focused business development resulted in yet another technological revolution in slot machine gaming.

For those interested in this sort of thing, see Igne S. Telnaes’ U.S. Patent Number 4,448,419, awarded in 1984, entitled “Electronic gaming device utilizing a random number generator for selecting the reel stop positions“.

The Arrival of Computer Microchips

In the 1980s, computer microchips allowed a leap forward in slot machine technological advances. This including the capability of having video slots, online slots, and linked machines for progressive slots.

In Las Vegas in 2003, a linked slot machine with a shared jackpot reached an enormous size before it was won: nearly $40 million.

Video Slots

One of the first slot machines with video reels was the Fortune Coin by Walt Fraley. Slot manufacturer IGT purchased its patent from Mr. Fraley, then developed it further to overcome an initial distrust of this new technology by slot machine players as well as improving its overall technical operation.

Due to the application of targeted marketing techniques, video poker machines were found to be honest and could be trusted, thereby overcoming people’s initial skepticism over how fair the video slot machines would be, and building a public perception of trust.

In the 1990s, the advent of the internet and increasingly fast and powerful computers allowed for the first electromechanical slot machines with bonus games, multiple lines, and the modern version of online slots.

Casinos have established a broad base of slot players while, along with today’s ready online access, online game developers are mostly only limited by their imagination.

Two Active Screens

The first video slot machine with two screens was created in Australia in 1994, followed by America in 1996.

The second screen was used to provide the player with a different environment in which bonuses could be played.

Summary of Slot Machines Invented

The history of slot machines is filled with technological developments. Each step in this chronological journey brought forth more inventions included in the modern slot machine.

Before Charles Fey’s 1887 invention in San Francisco, there were gambling machines – but they didn’t have slots for coins.

Therefore, despite prior technologies being used in that device, Fey’s coin-operated machine is considered the first genuine “slot machine”.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

Other Articles from Professor Slots

• Previous: Who Builds Slot Machines Throughout the World?
• Next: How Slot Machines Work from a Player’s Perspective

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC