In southern California, the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians has reportedly announced that it intends to launch gaming operations inside its new 474,000 sq ft Soboba Casino Resort from tomorrow.

Hotel to debut on Friday:

According to a report from The Press-Enterprise newspaper, the federally-recognized tribe broke ground on the coming six-story Riverside County complex in February of 2017 and additionally hopes to begin welcoming guests to the new venue’s 200-room hotel from Friday.

Increasing competition:

The newspaper reported that the Soboba Casino Resort has been designed to replace the tribe’s much smaller facility in an attempt to head off competition from the nearby Pechanga Resort Casino, which recently underwent a $300 million expansion that saw the rival complex debut a second hotel tower as well as a pool and an events center. It moreover detailed that the next few years is due to see the area’s gambling market become even more fierce following the completion of a $550 million plan that will involve the similarly-proximate San Manuel Casino adding a parking garage along with a 3,000-seat entertainments facility and a 450-room hotel.

Extensive offering:

Isaiah Vivanco, Vice-Chairman for the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, told The Press-Enterprise that the gaming floor inside the new casino resort is to eventually offer a complement of around 2,000 slots in addition to some 32 gaming tables. He explained that the coming enterprise located approximately 85 miles east of downtown Los Angeles will also feature a cabaret lounge and banqueting facilities alongside about 22,000 sq ft of food service space embracing a noodle restaurant, a food court, a coffee shop and a 24-hour cafe.

As if this wasn’t enough, Vivanco told the newspaper that the soon-to-launch Soboba Casino Resort, which sits on 37.5 acres of land approximately one mile from the tribe’s existing diminutive casino, will furthermore be home to 15,000 sq ft of conference space in addition to a fitness center, a bar and a large pool complex.

Future intentions:

Regarding the ultimate fate of his tribe’s soon-to-close smaller casino, Vivanco told The Press-Enterprise that much of this venue is owned by the Soboba Economic Development Corporation and that this entity is ‘still researching and determining what’ would be ‘the best use for that property.’