Slot Club Express - by Scotch Henderson

Vegas in San Diego

The California casinos I visited this summer had one thing in common: change. When California voters legalized Las Vegas-style gambling operations on Native American tribal lands, things began changing fast. Almost every casino I visited had a new section, wing or expansion planned, under construction or already operating. And by the time you read this, it's a good bet that significant progress will have been made since my visit.

The older "California style" section of these casinos is typically a dark, quiet room filled with rows of dark, quiet video poker and slot machines (technically VLTs: Video Lottery Terminals), made by unfamiliar (to me, anyway) manufacturers like "Sharp Image", "U.S. Games", and "Ram Star." The quiet clicking and humming of these "coinless" machines, and the absence of piped-in music, makes for a very different casino experience-kind of creepy until you get used to it. But walk through a doorway into the new section, and you're in Las Vegas: brightly lit, noisy, musical machines by Bally, Silicon Gaming, IGT, and so forth. The contrast was fascinating, and the Vegas-style machines were going non-stop everywhere I went.

The Viejas Casino, owned and operated by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, is a large casino, outlet mall and concert facility located about 30 minutes east of downtown San Diego on Interstate 8. The attractive Southwestern design of the casino, with distinctive Native American accents, makes a terrific first impression. Inside the casino I found the mix of California-style and Las Vegas-style games I had come to expect. Yahtzee, slot Bingo, Monopoly Once Around, Double Diamond, Triple Diamond, Wheel of Fortune and other Vegas favorites were clustered in the busy new Slot City area, with signs promising new machines daily. I also found a few $1 9/6 Jacks or Better machines upstairs near the deli. Most of the video poker payouts were lower: 7/5 Jacks or Better, 9/6 Double Bonus, and a few 25¢ 8/5 Jacks or Better near the Bingo Hall.

Restaurant choices at Vieja start with the Harvest Buffet, a bright, spacious room with large windows overlooking the desert scenery, with an attractive enclosed patio. Unfortunately, diners must line up cafeteria-style to approach the food. Other restaurants include the Grove Steakhouse ($13-$25 entrees and seafood), the upstairs deli, and the 24-hour Sunrise Diner, featuring $5.99 daily Blue Plate Specials. And for those who don't want to waste a minute of playing time, there's take-out available from the China Camp Express, and small wheeled carts that you can park right next to your machine or table.

Along with the new Las Vegas-style machines comes a new slot club. Cards were being issued for the new Viejas VIP Rewards Club, although the club was not yet in operation during my visit. "Rewards Cash" (scrip) will be awarded based on average bet per spin (or deal) per hour. For example, a 25¢ slot player earns 50¢ in Rewards Cash per hour.

Across the street at the Viejas Outlet Mall, you'll find some of the usual outlet stores and a few surprises. The shops are laid out around a series of "courts" or circles, with winding, shaded walkways perfect for window-shopping or bargain hunting. In the back, an outdoor amphitheater hosts big-name acts like Jethro Tull, Bill Cosby, Kenny G., Natalie Cole, and the Violent Femmes. The real show, however, takes place every night at 9 pm in the Show Court, the mall's centerpiece facing the casino. Designed to represent the Indian's sacred circle, the Show Court is the outdoor setting for "The Spirit of NightFire," a spectacular multimedia presentation using music, laser and strobe lights, flaming fountains, fireworks, fog, multiscreen projection, special effects and live actors-well, one live actor, the eighteen-year old hero of the story. This magical, traditional Indian legend is presented with high-tech power and energy that keeps the crowd of kids and adults riveted. Admission is free and there's plenty of room. Arrive early enough to grab a cappuccino or some ice cream at the mall's nearby coffee shop, Scatterbeans, and enjoy the show.

Barona Casino in Lakeside, California, operated by the Barona Band of Mission Indians, is another striking example of the old meeting the new. You enter through the older section, one of those white "big top" tents often used as temporary casinos. This one, however, is jet black on the inside, with large, flat cutouts of clowns and circus animals, suspended high in the air above the California-style games. It's very unusual and kind of sinister; all that's missing is some warped circus music and one of those evil Hollywood clowns.

Proceed through the nonsmoking area and the food court to the newer section, however, and it's totally Vegas, right down to the car in the middle of the casino and the hot dog cart in the corner. Here you'll find IGT video poker with 9/6 Jacks or Better, 8/5 bonus progressives and triple-progressives, and 9/7 Double Bonus at the quarter, dollar, and five dollar levels; many of them are triple-play and five-play varieties. Slot favorites include Wild Cherry, Triple Diamond, Five Times Pay, Little Green Men, Wheel of Fortune, Quartermania, Reel 'Em In, and many others, including a few penny slots. Table games include blackjack (single, double, and six-deck), pai gow poker, casino war, Caribbean stud, three-card poker, let it ride, and so forth.

As I set off in search of the slot club booth, I noticed the very clever "Winners Wall" photographs hanging all around the casino. Large group photos of lucky winners are arranged collage-style, something like The Beatle's Sgt. Pepper's album cover, except they're holding wads of oversized bills and bags of loot. Their names and jackpot amounts are inscribed on a plaque below the photos. At the Club Barona booth, I signed up for a new card (for the new Vegas machines; an older card works in the California-style machines) and picked up an excellent flyer which clearly explained the system. Slot players earn two points for every $1 played; video poker players earn one point. Five thousand points can be redeemed for $5 cash back, a rebate of .2% for slots and .1% for video poker. Table game players are rated by the pit supervisor. The club also features three levels of membership: Classic, Platinum and Diamond. Platinum and Diamond status is based on attainment of minimum point levels (40,000 for Platinum, 160,000 for Diamond) over a three-month period, and ascending levels of perks and comps come with each level.

Besides the Side Attractions Food Court (Subway, Barona Colossal Dogs, Da Boyz Pizza), diners can enjoy the Barona Buffet, where each day of the week has a different theme: Tuesday prime rib, Saturday Bourbon Street. Breakfast is just $3.99, brunch $6.99-$7.99, dinner $7.99. The 'lipay Corner CafŸ, featuring burgers and steaks at very reasonable prices, is open around the clock. l