Morongo Indian Casino is located on I-10 about 75 miles east of Los Angeles in Cabazon California in a large (2000 machines and 100 plus tables) new facility.

Morongo is California’s first Indian Casino to receive IGT’s newer strike machine. They installed 6 new three line, one-dollar machines dispensing $40 strikes. I know it is a $40 token because it says “Limited Edition Forty Dollar Souvenir Token” on the token. Problem is there is also a sign on the machine that says tokens are NOT REDEEMABLE. Now, when a token is won, the machine says that 40 credits were paid out, but 40 credits of what? You get the token but it is not redeemable so you’re getting paid 40 credits of zip.

I watched 12 plus people play the machine and when they found out the token was not redeemable everyone said you’ve got to be kidding me at which time I pointed out the sticker and they could not believe it. Most, all but one, cashed out.

Mintmark is RWM (Roger Williams Mint) but you do not need to look for the mintmark to know that because you will notice that the quality is very poor (low luster, fine dust like scratches and production marks). The quality is like the current $200s coming out of Vegas.

Bottom line: You gamble 1 to 3 dollars per pull to get a token which says ”Limited Edition Forty Dollar Souvenir Token” but the casino will not redeem it for forty dollars or any amount for that matter. Soooo….. Who is the winner here?

For all of you who say report it to the gaming commission, remember this is Indian Gaming, there is no one overall commission. There are three levels of regulation; 1st level The tribes themselves, 2nd level The State Gaming department and 3rd level National Indian Gaming Commission. In other words they regulate themselves.

Is this program the forerunner of things to come?

I surely hope not.

Bill Brooks
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