Soboba Casino Resort near San Jacinto, the Agua Caliente casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs and Valley View Casino and Hotel in San Diego County became the most recent tribal casinos to announce temporary closures due to the novel coronavirus.

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians announced on Tuesday, March 17, that the casino operations would temporarily shut down from 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, through April 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is a time when we all must come together in a unified effort to address this current crisis,” Soboba Tribal Council said in a news release about the closing, which also noted that employees would receive their base pay through April 1.

Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs closed as of 6 p.m. March 17 and would remain so until March 31, a statement on the casinos’ website said, noting employees would receive base pay and benefits.

The tribal council of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians also announced that Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs will close effective March 18 and that the hiking areas of Tahquitz Canyon and the Indian Canyons will close effective March 18.

“Pursuant to Tribal law, we declared a State of Emergency today for the Reservation to protect the health and welfare of Tribal Members, Tribal employees and the broader non-tribal Reservation community,” said Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe in a statement posted to the casinos’ website.

Valley View Casino & Hotel in northern San Diego County also announced its intention to temporarily close, beginning at 10 p.m. Sunday, March 22, through Sunday, April 5, via Facebook. The casino’s post said it plans to reopen at 8 a.m. April 6. Valley View said that all operations except for the buffet and the valet would be open through the announced March 22 closing time.

“We sincerely appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support that we have received from so many of our guests and thank you for your continued loyalty,” the post read.

Soboba, Agua Caliente and Valley View follow other tribal-owned casinos in temporarily closing, including San Manuel Casino, Pechanga Resort Casino, Morongo Casino Resort and Spa and Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

As of Tuesday evening, Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella and sister property Tortoise Rock Casino in Twentynine Palms had not posted any notices about closing, nor did Cahuilla Casino in Anza.

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