The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is marking four decades since it launched tribal gaming on its reservation in San Bernardino County. The effort began in the 1980s when leaders sought new revenue sources to support community needs after years of economic difficulty.
Tribal vice chairman Johnny Hernandez Jr. described the challenges that preceded the venture. “We were put up against the hillside there with non-fertile land and really in an area where people probably didn’t think that we were going to survive,” he said.
Local officials raised concerns that the proposed high-stakes bingo hall would disturb neighborhoods and encourage illegal activity. City leaders attempted to block the project through legal action and urged its relocation off reservation land.
The facility opened on July 24, 1986, as San Manuel Indian Bingo and drew immediate crowds. Hernandez recalled that some of the strongest early critics later became regular patrons, and the operation quickly created jobs during a period of local factory closures.
Federal legislation passed after a 1987 Supreme Court ruling allowed tribes to pursue additional gaming formats through state compacts. The Yuhaaviatam later expanded the site into the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, which now includes more than 7,500 slot machines.
The tribe currently employs nearly 8,000 people and has contributed more than $450 million to surrounding communities. Hernandez noted that gaming revenue supports health care, education and other services for tribal members while preserving cultural priorities.
This report is based on coverage by LAist: https://laist.com/news/la-history/san-bernardino-county-yuhaaviatam-anniversary-yaamava-tribal-gaming