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Casinos have reopened in Southern California, but there are rules in the new normal created by the novel coronavirus pandemic. All of the tribal-owned casinos require guests to wear masks inside and have social distancing guidelines. Some have specific smoking rules.

Readers have emailed us wondering how casinos enforce their COVID-19 rules, so we asked each property. Many said they start off with a warning, or several, before they have to get serious.

Here’s what tribal-owned casinos across Southern California said about their new policies and enforcement:

Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs and Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage 

Dawn Petrick, media and community relations manager for the Agua Caliente Casinos, wrote that the casinos’ hospitality teams make sure that all guests and team members wear masks and social distance from the time they come in and that smoking is prohibited on casino floors.

Petrick said the casinos have not had to put any warnings or any enforcement measures in place because people have followed the protocols.

“Simply put, if people are coming out, they should expect to wear a face covering and social distance to keep everyone safe,” Petrick wrote.

Augustine Casino 

Smoking and eating are not allowed on the gaming floor, in part because prohibiting those things will help people keep their masks on while they’re playing, said Lindsay Grant, director of marketing for Augustine Casino. Eating is allowed in the casino’s dining area at socially distanced tables.

“Because we don’t have a hotel and we don’t have an events center, most of our customers are from the surrounding area and they are our regulars,” Grant said, noting that the casino hasn’t had to police guests.

Grant said she has walked the gaming floor and seen people with their masks down, but all that is required is a polite reminder.

“People usually don’t even realize that they’ve pulled it down to maybe take a sip of their drink and they absolutely will put it back on,” she said.

Grant said the same has been true of smoking, but nobody has refused to stop smoking after receiving a reminder.

If someone refused to wear a mask or stop smoking, they would be asked to leave, she said.

Cahuilla Casino & Hotel 

Cahuilla Casino has said that it requires guests to wear masks and asks that they social distance. Smoking is allowed.

Officials for the casino did not respond to requests for comment on how they enforce masks and distancing.

Casino Pauma

Casino Pauma requires that guests must wear masks unless they are actively eating, drinking or smoking, and if they’re not doing one of those things, they must keep their mask all the way up over their nose. They are asked maintain distance while they are at the casino.

There is a three warning mask policy before a guest is asked to leave, Marketing Director Val Canales wrote in an email, but she said the casino has not had to go to that extreme.

“Our guests are very good at complying with our COVID-19 safety regulations and policies,” she wrote.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino 

Fantasy Springs requires guests to wear masks before entering (and provides them if needed), prohibits smoking inside and asks that people not in the same group maintain their distance, said Michael Felci, public relations manager for the Indio-area resort.

He said the casino hasn’t had any issues, more than just an occasional reminder about some of the safety rules.

“If it was something that they’re just not complying with, they would conceivably be asked to leave,” Felci said.

Harrah’s Resort Southern California

The Valley Center resort requires that guests keep their masks up unless they’re drinking or smoking and asks that people keep distance from other players and visitors.

Casino officials said that if a guest is not wearing their mask in designated settings or keeping their distance, an employee will kindly remind them, up to three times, that they need to be doing those things. After the final reminder, the guest may be asked to leave the public area or the property, depending on the situation.

Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa 

Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa requires masks, prohibits smoking except in designated areas and asks that guests maintain distance from one another where possible.

Morongo officials in an email said that the casino has been proactive in interacting with guests who are not following its mask, social distancing and smoking requirements.

The email said guests have been receptive of the measures, but in the rare instance that a guest is uncooperative, they’ll be asked to leave, according to an email.

Pala Casino Spa & Resort 

The casino requires masks and asks that guests social distance. Distancing is required in areas where lines form. Smoking is allowed in some areas.

Representatives for Pala wrote that guests are allowed to remove or pull down their masks while they are actively smoking in a designated smoking area. They are given three warnings before they are asked to leave for face mask or social distancing violations.

Pechanga Resort Casino 

Pechanga Resort Casino requires that guests wear masks, prohibits smoking and asks that people maintain their distance. Distancing is required in areas where lines form.

Media and Public Relations Director Ciara Green said in an email that the overwhelming majority of the Temecula area complex’s guests appreciate and have been compliant with its new safety measures, but in the rare instance that a guest disregards the measures, those guests will be told about the importance of those measures. If guests continue refusing to comply, Green said, they are asked to leave. Green said that on average Pechanga has removed about a dozen guests per week.

San Manuel Casino 

Guests are required to wear masks, asked to keep their distance and are prohibited from smoking inside the casino.

In an emailed statement, San Manuel’s General Manager Peter Arceo wrote that the casino’s guest safety concierges, a new role the casino created before reopening, conduct visual observations to make sure that health and safety standards are being followed.

As part of their jobs they promote social distancing practices on the gaming floor, encourage and direct guests to hand sanitizers throughout the casino floor and monitor that guests and team members are wearing face coverings properly.

“We are adamant that face coverings be worn properly and at all times by team members and guests while on property,” Arceo wrote in the email, adding that if guests are unwilling to comply, officers from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Department of Public Safety will ask them to leave.

Soboba Casino Resort 

Guests are required to wear masks, prohibited from smoking except for designated areas and asked to maintain their distance.

Soboba Casino Resort’s Assistant General Manager Jason Cozart wrote in an emailed statement that guests have been “more than willing to comply” so far with the casino’s mask and smoking requirements.

“Employees have been well-trained and are extremely diligent in making sure that all safety measures are followed. If a mask has been lowered to consume a beverage, for example, and the guest has forgotten to return the face covering properly, our staff will quickly and kindly remind them to do so,” Cozart wrote in a portion of his emailed statement. “It is understood and enforced that face coverings are mandatory; no one is permitted without one and anyone refusing to wear one would have to leave.”

Spotlight 29 Casino and Tortoise Rock Casino 

The casinos require that guests wear masks and encourages social distancing. Smoking is allowed.

Casino officials declined to comment about how they enforce mask and distancing measures, saying that there were too many variables.

Valley View Casino & Hotel 

The Valley Center casino stated in a letter that masks are required but the letter did not detail other precautionary measures.

Valley View declined to comment about how masks and distancing are enforced.