Tortoise Rock Casino

We stopped by on late Saturday evening in Feb because of Tesla Charger in their lot. Cozy place to stop buy play some games have a drink while car get charged.

Small and personable, every staff interaction was good and seemed genuine. They still have some slots with actual reels! Place was very clean, and I did not notice that they allow smoking must have some good air system. Smart casinos know that allowing overnight RV parking is good for business. Security will visit to register you (and this is good, it absolves them of liability against idiots). Go in and spend the 60 bucks you would have spent for an RV site at the Casino, have a drink try your chance, support local employment. It was great.

The coolest little casino I've ever been to. Super clean, everyone is really nice. Sargent Alex (parking security) is one awesome dude! Gerardo (casino manager) is the man! Native American cannabis dispensary on site! Overnight parking allowed. We loved our stay here and will definitely be coming back. Thank you!

I ordered 2 sides of fries from oasis grille and just they put it in a box. When I mentioned portion size looks too small to be even one they gave me these baskets to divvy them up. Cheap.

Today, on Thanksgiving, I walked into Tortoise Casino with my ADA-registered service dog, intending to enjoy some games and support the casino, despite it being a holiday I do not celebrate. However, my visit quickly turned into an unsettling experience regarding the treatment of service animals and compliance with federal laws. Shortly after I entered, a security guard approached me and said that I could not be in the casino with my dog. I calmly explained that my dog is a trained service animal and that denying entry to a person with a service dog is a violation of federal civil rights laws. I mentioned the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which clearly prohibits such discrimination. The security guard then escorted me to a sign stating that service dogs require 48 hours’ notice and a completed form to enter the casino. This policy is in direct conflict with the ADA, which states that businesses must allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in all areas open to the public. Under the ADA, businesses may only ask two questions: 1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? 2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Documentation, forms, or advance notice cannot be required by law. Additionally, the sign specified that dogs must be house-trained (a redundant point, as all service dogs are trained for specific tasks) and free of ticks or fleas. While cleanliness is a reasonable expectation, this is an impractical requirement for any visitor to guarantee 100% of the time. Though the security guard eventually calmed down and courteously explained that he was simply enforcing the casino’s policies, I firmly believe those policies are not only discriminatory but also unlawful under federal law. The casino’s management should review and update their practices to comply with the ADA. Failure to do so could expose them to legal consequences and further alienate customers with disabilities. I want to emphasize that I hold deep respect for Native American tribes and their businesses, but legal compliance is essential for creating an inclusive and respectful environment for all patrons. I hope Tortoise Casino takes this as an opportunity to educate their staff, revise their policies, and ensure that no other guests face similar discrimination. For reference, the relevant law can be found under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title III, Section 36.302.

Cool lil casino. Live music. Nice, helpful staff. Definitely not loose slots around here but it's a good time regardless.

This casino is smaller then many other casinos. It does have 7 Tesla superchargers for individuals to charge their cars. I visited this location around 9pm on a Thursday night and it wasn't that busy. The overall atmosphere was good but it was hard to find a waitress to order a drink while you are on the slots. But it does have a small bar. It also has table games and a café.

I played over 20 machines and didn't hit a single bonus 300 bucks later I left .there's no waitress so u have to fetch your own drinks and leave your machine which I didn't mind because it was only draining my money.

We stopped by on late Saturday evening in Feb because of Tesla Charger in their lot. Cozy place to stop buy play some games have a drink while car get charged.

Ai ambulances are the most efficient way to transport passengers to the hospital as the Waynes of posters as the French walk is a European Train Station !

One big square room with slot machines and casino games. It smells like smoke inside... There is a restaurant/cafe. Bathrooms are nice with a lot of stalls There are 10 Tesla chargers!

My ongoing communication with the casino and hostess has been excellent. I've also had great interaction with floor staff and security personnel several times. I think the bad day that prompted my first review was probably a one-off for both of us.

Update, 2024: Welp, no pool yet, but they did add a cannabis dispensary. Open 24/7, in the black-and-red smoke shop trailer by the Tesla chargers. Note: this is the only legal dispensary in the hi-desert, because the towns have voted against it, and the county won't allow it in unincorporated areas. The dispensary has just opened, so YMMV. Also: most Friday nights in the summer, you can watch various cover bands play there - free. From 2015: Stopped in this little casino to kill some time while waiting for a friend. Like most Indian casinos, this one was filled with enough cigarette smoke to choke a horse, so if you're not already a smoker, be prepared to smell like one after spending fifteen minutes here. I'm more of a blackjack player, but the smoke drove me out before I had much chance to investigate that option here. It's such a tiny casino, I can't imagine spending much time here without another attraction - especially something outdoors, away from all that smoke. How about putting in a pool, Tortoise Rock? That's something fun that this area could really use. It would be a great attraction - you could put on Las Vegas style daytime pool parties. Hell, I'd love to come buy a drink and take a dip in the casino pool, listening to a band. Why not, Tortoise Rock? You're the only casino in town.

Great spot and location in terms of 29 palms. Not many places have $5 tables anymore so it's nice to go in, unwind, have some cheap drinks, and let loose. Friends and I go almost every Friday. Whether you're trying to gamble or just watch sports in a nice establishment, this is the spot. Only complaint is smokers. It's not always a huge problem, but sometimes you go in and there's a bunch of smokers and you walk out smelling like a cigarette.

Nice place clean and smoky. Staff is friendly and helpful. Usual loud music. Of course I lost not a lot but when you don't win at all that's usually a sign to walk away. Card tables, slots, roulette. There is a small snack bar to get sandwiches and other assorted food stuffs. There are workers roaming around asking if you want coffee, water and soda. It's a drive out to 29 Palms and would be good if you want to drive out for the day. But I wouldn't come for a big win.

Tortoise Rock Casino I really enjoy the entertainment when I'm there and it relaxes me it's therapy for me and the stafff are very polite, help and helpful I think by then building this casino it's helped a lot for this town and now I just pray that one day they will expand and put other things together to help the casino. Get more customers from everywhere. Thank you.

Really tired of winning nothing at Tortise Rock. Not very friendly casino. You just watch your money go poof and nothing in return not even enough to keep playing for entertainment value. No one can be that unlucky all the time. Very sad place to think you're gonna have fun!

Always a nice visit to the casino! Food is good and so are the drinks. The bartenders are always friendly and never keep you waiting!

Super small and while playing at the tables, they took forever to provide service. My clothes and hair smelled horrible like smoke after leaving. It also seems suspiciously hard to win here...... I'd hard pass if you're considering.

Just because it has Tesla charger. You needed to get two hundreds point to receive a gift.

Small, and if you like casinos- not overwhelming. There is even a nonsmokong area!!!got $15 free bucks from players club, won $29 of real money and left!!!!!

Don't even waste your time stopping here unless you need to use the restroom. Sister property is just as sad! I found games that didn't pay much of anything. There is nobody in this place because in my opinion the rent is due and your going to help pay the rent by playing here. Like the sister property there is more security than guest! How is this place still open???? Play somewhere else you'll be glad you did!

I won $100 and kept playing and I still loved it. People who put bad reviews are losers. Sure the place smells like cigarets. Just like old vegas. Super chill place. They have a restaurant which we did not try. I'll go back for sure.

Very small casino, but a nice place to spend and hour or two to kill time from the hot heat. The security team was really funny and nice!

It's a small casino They have a small restaurant the nachos are better than hard rock casino. The burgers are good. Price is very affordable. The ambient is very good.

Worst casino I've ever been too no cap I will never come here again sorry for the bad review but not worth it

It's super small!!! Maybe like 80 machines. It does take your money quickly though! Well I guess all casinos do right? It's cute and a good stop over . Too much smoking for me but I guess that's the norm for a lot of casinos.

Mal , mal y mal , no hay hotel , no hay gas , no hay restaurante, venden los peores cigarrillos, del universo, y la comida es mala, y 200 de juego gratis te duran , 25 minutos y el personal de seguridad es despota , no existe ningún motivo para visitar este lugar

We come here a couple of times a month usually in the evening. This morning we stopped here on our way home for a quick bite to eat. Waited 20 minutes for a bagel with cream cheese and it still wasn't ready. I asked for a refund because I had to get back in the road and they didn't know how to refund so I would have to wait for them to get the Supervisor. Needless to say, I left without my bagel and without my refund. The customer service was horrible as well.

A great place to watch PPV events,, the free outdoor concerts are cool. The problem is the whole place is a chain smokers paradise. They sell cheep cigarettes by the carton and the ventilation system can't keep up with the smoke, Everywhere you sit smoke is blowing in your face like a camp fire, ash trays full on the machines, chain smokers on most machine, I should wear a respirator next time I go. Oh and BTW the machines are very tight if you are ever able to ever get a bonus !

We stopped here to charge at a Tesla supercharger. The security literally drove by 30 times. Stopped us. Watched us. skip it.

I've been to several casinos in CA & NV & this is by far the worst I've been too. The security stopped me & asked me a bunch of questions when I was only in there for not even 5 minutes. I was dressed as normal as anyone else but they singled me out for some reason & they never told me why even after I asked them. There's like 7-9 Casinos in Palm Springs area that you can visit and have way more going for it anyway. They're larger, more games, in a safer area and that's way less windy then here. On the drive over here from Palm Springs, there was a police traffic stop that block the entire highway here. So you had to drive all the way around to get pass the traffic stop. This added at least 45 minutes to the trip. There are no traffic stop warnings on Google Maps either, so if you're planning on driving here, just know that. Its just over a 1 hour drive here from Palms Springs with no traffic and the wind is very high. This is very dangerous because semi-trucks can flip over & crush your car. You can see this on YouTube. My point being: why deal with all this just to play at the worst Casino in CA & NV especially when you have so many other options just in Palm Springs alone with better odds and more games? I would give this place a 0 if possible.

Been to this nice small casino, on Saturday may 13 , 2023, everything is oke, till you want to eat something. We had fish and ships and chicken tireyaki , it was eatable, but we had to pay twice , because the machine rol was broken .... I asked what happens when I pay on my creditcard two times te food price ? The manager told me that they will correct it in 3 days . I was oke, because we have to travel home the next day. Now after a week we still payed two times for the meal !!! NO CORRECTION

The worse Casino in the desert!!!! You will never win there it is a total scam no one ever wins there all that casino does is take your money don't listen to these fake ass reviews which are probably from employers or there family or friends because I have nothing to lose or gain and iam telling u as a resident of this area that casino is a scam no one ever wins there EVER.

Decent little casino located in Twentynine Palms. If you happen to have a gambling itch or want to lose money while hiking or camping in Joshua Tree, look no further. Don't expect much though. Limited tables and limited slots. I am actually surprised this place exists in the middle of the nowhere. Regret going in though...

This place is just weird. Too many security people constantly wandering around staring at you. Almost always dead and quiet inside. The gaming machines are typical stuff, nothing special. I've never had any luck in the 10 years since they opened. Machines are tight and you can just feel it sucking in as much money as they can. Lots of (assumption) homeless people just hanging out and some stinky ones. Great place to lose money and feel bad. Didn't see anyone enjoying themselves at all.

The smell of smoke was a bit overwhelming in this casino. Usually I'm pretty tolerant to that in casinos but this one made it harder to be in. The casino itself was super small, and minimal options for food or drinks. There was very little staff as well. The bathrooms were clean and the entire casino was well air conditioned. Overall completely fine as we were just stopping to charge the car and walk around, but wouldn't go out of my way to come here again.

Food has gotten better Help very friendly and better chance of winning here than Palm Springs casinos. I like it here.

OK - decided to stop and enjoy an hour or so of playing the slots but luck was with me...... and so five hours later and once it got dark i realized I had had a full day of fun. They have complementary soft drinks while one plays. Its a small nice little casino in Twenty Nine Palms.

-reeks of cigarette smoke everywhere -no covid wipes available -My slots kept bugging out - they were disconnecting every few minutes! -Very tight slots - didn't see anyone around me win

Lost 5k while playing slots. Did not get any free games or bonuses from playing 7 different slot machines.

Clean and plenty of slot machines despite only having one floor. A nice bar to have a drink and relax.

In Joshua tree for a weekend and found out about this casino so decided to try it out, I wanted to play some dealer hold 'em, there was only one table and they were letting some lady play 2 seats, I asked if the second seat was open they said no there's a waitlist so I get on it, the lady leaves for half hour and even the players at the table are complaining they should let other players play. Over it after over an hour of waiting and they don't open up another table and keep letting the lady play 2 seats. I guess this is a watching casino not a playing casino so I leave. Will never come back, I can watch other people gambling on YouTube.

Me and my friends got to the casino at around 6:30pm to get a table to watch the UFC fights. We only got a bucket of beer (6 beers) and there was 4 of us at the table. Me and my friend walked to the bathroom together and when we were finished we were questioned by a female security guard in the bathroom. She asked us multiple questions like 'is your friend okay?' 'Who did you come here with?' 'Where are you sitting?' Mind you me and my friend are completely fine and were just holding conversation in the bathroom. (Not stumbling or falling over or puking or ANYTHING along those lines) so I tell her we are fine and leave the bathroom. She proceeds to go to the bar to cut off my friend from drinking because she believes she had too much to drink. So the main event is about to come on and then she proceeds to say we have to leave. We ask Her why.....she doesn't give an answer. We didn't cause a disruption... or start a fight... or drink too much. We were literally just having a few beers with our friends. We asked to speak with the Manager as well to get some sort of clarification as to why we were being kicked out, and again we got no straight answer. Seems to me that this female security guard had an agenda for the night and it was very strange the way she targeted us. It sucks when miserable people have to ruin a good time. Another time I went to the casino I ordered food (chicken tenders and French fries) when my order was ready and he gave it to me there were about 5 french fries in the tray. I asked the gentlemen who served me the food If this is normally how much food they serve people and he responded with 'yea it has to be 5oz ' or something along those lines. People really lack a lot of common sense.. very poor customer service and the security guards clearly have nothing better to do than to harass people.

Great place ! Closer than going all the way down below! Won $$$ & lost some but had a great time.

Drove from hemet to check this spot out tonight i won 200 bucks and was told i cant record by a security lady pretty pathetic never had a problem when i record what i win but hey explains why the casino is about 20 yards.. i would be mad if a customer won as well NEVER COMING BACK TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!

The smell! The smell inside this building was so bad i started getting nauseous. They allow smoking throughout the casino and they dont have a adequate ventilation system to filter the air. Also the payouts on the machines are very low, because they dont have the person flow to drive the jackpots.

Suckie slots. Power tripping security parking lot attendants that bully. Crap food and bar services when it's slow or otherwise. And worse of All... SHITY LOUD MUSIC ! PS. If you don't smoke. Stay out. You'll choke.

We go here sometimes. Bathrooms very clean. Bartender in the morning is very rude. Drinks are not worth the price, not enough alcohol added. Food is not as good as most Casinos here in the desert area. Machine attendents are nice. Jackpots are rare. The worst thing is no drink service from 12am until 9am. No sodas or water even. No fun to play when your thirsty. You people cant afford one night waitress for cokes and water???

I have been wanting to check this casino out for awhile, but it's a little out of the way. I finally went there in February. The player's club booth was closed, so I had to wait in a pretty long line at the cashier. Finally when I got up to the front, the man working there asked what he can do for me. I asked to sign up for a player's card. He said hold on and walked away to count cash for an employee...strange customer service practice. Then he came back and I handed him my ID and he said...in a rude manner..."what is this for?!". I said I want to sign up for a players card. He muttered something else rudely. Then another woman took over. She was friendly, but the whole experience was just weird. Anyway, she told me as a new player there is a promotion of getting free play up to $500. Essentially you get what you lose back in free play. She said it takes a few weeks to process, but I will receive an email. Cool deal, right? Nope! It's a shady business practice. I never received the email, so I just thought that maybe they wrote my email down wrong. I went back in March and told them that I never received the email. She checked the one I provided and it was correct, they just didn't send an email. Then I asked about the free play...that I was supposed to get...and she said it expired. Well I never got the email as promised! I would have been fine with no promotion signing up, but don't promise something you don't stand by. She took down my information so a supervisor would call, but of course they never did. What a shady casino. There are too many nice casinos close enough ( that actually stand by the many promotions they have!) to even consider returning to a place that is so shady and lacking in customer service. Oh, I forgot to mention. When I returned in March they had the player's club open. I went over there and asked him about the free play offer. He had a puzzled look on his face and told me he doesn't deal with player's club and I would have to go to the cashier. What? You are in the player's club booth? Haha what a mess of a business. The slot machines themselves were fine. Win some, lose some like any casino. The food in the little food place was good, and the people working there were friendly.

2.5 Stars It's in 29 Palms. If you have the gambling itch and don't have the time to drive to Morongo Casino stop by here. The positives: + Air Condition casino. Nice to cool off while it's triple digits outside + Bar Area. Good place to watch the PPV Fights. Cheap beer when you order by the pitcher. Friendly servers/bartenders. + parking is never an issue + a few minutes off state route 62 + Food: Prices are good. Decent burgers too. + Close to the Base. Improvements: + A more distinct non-smoking section. It maybe a non-smoking section but the cigarette smoke makes it there anyways. + Available games/slots: You don't see some of the popular games/slots that you see in the bigger casinos. I like pai gow and the wheel of fortune slot. + Food: just a fast food option. Sub par Mexican food. Carne Adams burrito was almost all beans and rice without much meat. Rounded up to 3 stars.

Terrible casino, bad service, they allow people to smoke even during this Covid 19 period, poor promotion , smell bad like shit

My only suggestion for this place to the owner/management, is to have a better air circulation and smoke suctions. 1 minute in there, your clothes and hair already smells of cigarettes. I like the place, and kudos to the cleaning team of the bathroom (especially Women bathroom). It's clean, smells very nice... I probably prefer to stay in there than at the casino, due to the smells of the smoke.. lol. The employees that work there that I met, so far is very nice.

Completely incompetent and rude staff. Mixed drink had 0 alcohol, they insulted me and my girlfriend twice. I have no idea why we went back a second time. If you are looking for a drink in 29 Palms, go anywhere else besides Tortoise Rock. Virginian, Cactus Bar, anywhere besides this crapfest. It's only still in business because old people are addicted to slot machines.

Covid is happening and I check to see if they are enforcing masks and social distancing which according to their website they are. I get there and it's packed and half of people have no mask at all. I ask security and his answer is, "if you didn't want to deal with covid you shouldve stayed home, our bar is even open and it's not supposed to be" basically saying he didn't care. 4 security guards standing around chatting about their weekends while people could potentially die because they don't want to do their job. We all need to learn to live in the new normal but it starts with responsible businesses and this is casino is NOT SAFE

this place used to be so fun and you could play a lot on just under 100 dollars. now you can lose 5000 in a few hours and never hit 100 dollars. love the people that work in food service. the cage workers run hot and cold. if your winning everyone loves you if your not they act like they don't know you. had few good hits there but last 6 months nothing. you can play every machine in the casino bet low to high and nothing hits. hardly any locals go anymore and if they do they walk in and out losing their money n no time. was just there Thursday for scratchers. parking lot had 30 cars hoping to win. as I walked out those thirty cars all driving off as losers. did not see one person win free play. we are not a rich community and I see it getting poorer yes casino are there to make money but this is supposed to be entertainment. the price people pay does not even let them be entertained they have to leave. I do have say casino is very clean and the cigarettes are very reasonable.

We went to check out the casino but left immediately because it was so smoky that we couldn't handle it. Had to take a shower and wash all of our clothes immediately. I will never step foot in that place again.