Casino Morongo Pow Pow

Set at the foot of the beautiful San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains, the Morongo Indian Reservation spans more than 32,000 acres and overlooks the vistas of the Banning Pass.
Resilient and resourceful, the Morongo tribe has had to overcome many adversities.The Morongo Reservation was one of nine small reservations set aside by PresidentGrant by executive order in 1865.In 1983, the path of Morongo’s future changed when tribal members starteda modest bingo hall. From this building evolved one of the oldest and most successfulIndian gaming facilities in California. The present $250 million destinationwhich opened in late 2004, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa, is one of thelargest tribal gaming facilities in the nation.
With its diversification into non-gaming businesses, the tribe has become thelargest private sector employer in the Banning-Beaumont region and is a majorcontributor to the Coachella Valley economy. The tribe now employs more than3,000 people. An independent study reported that the tribe’s gaming andnon-gaming businesses would generate more than $2.8 billion into the regionaleconomy by 2008. The tribe pays payroll taxes, unemployment benefits, employeebenefits and provides health programs. More than two thirds of the Morongo workforceis composed of residents from the Banning Pass and desert cities. On both community outreach and social education fronts, Morongo has taken a leadershiprole. The tribe gives generously on an annual basis to hundreds of local communitygroups.
Today, the region’s governments, businesses, community leaders and groupsregard Morongo as a friend and partner. The Morongo tribe’s progress isa case history that illustrates how combining a pro-active tribal governmentwith sound economic development can enable tribes to turn their lives and communitiesaround and dramatically impact the surrounding economic region. Morongo is activelyworking with government and community leaders to explore the best paths of futuredevelopment and planning that will yield a better quality of life for this generationand for generations to come.