It’s just more variety.”Īltogether, the gaming venues account for around 11,500 jobs.

We have a lot of team members that come from the other properties. “We have a lot of team members that work here.

“I think it’s good to have them so close together,” said Mike Caputto, director of human resources at Valley View Casino and hotel, of Valley Center, which has about 1,000 employees. They compete for business, and for employees. A good chunk of that revenue likely came from San Diego County’s nine Indian casinos, which cluster in its east and northeast regions. In 2011, the latest year of data available, revenue bumped back up to $6.91 billion. Statewide, revenue for the roughly 60 Indian casinos peaked at $7.8 billion in 2007 before falling each year and bottoming out at $6.8 billion in 2010, said Alan Meister, who produces Casino City’s annual Indian Gaming Industry Report. “I think there’s definitely a bottoming out that’s occurred over the last six to 12 months and I think that people are getting more comfortable,” said Harry Taylor, general manager of North County’s Casino Pauma, which has 420 employees and recently completed a casino renovation. One casino is hosting a hiring fair next week. New hotel towers are rising, and job ads are posted. “They shrank disproportionately to the rest of the economy.”īut now, the lights are flashing a bit brighter. “If you have to put a meal on your table or go gambling, most of us would choose to feed our families,” said Carl Winston, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at San Diego State University. It’s because gambling is the most discretionary of spending - you’ll probably only risk your money if you can afford to lose. San Diego County’s Indian casino industry - the largest in the state - took a wallop during the Great Recession.Įxpansion plans were scaled back, some casinos had layoffs, and one closed last year.

Indian casinos in san diego california