Tortoise Rock Casino — Attraction in Twentynine Palms

Well, TRC is in the middle of nowhere it's small, but NEW provides some entertainment for a hole in the wall 29 palms. And you can win a little gas 💰 if you happen to be working out here. I can always use gas money. I do alright. But forget for a minute that u might win big if you keep dumping money in a machine. They are riged! I'm a small risk guy, $10 - $20 max. I nearly stop any casino if it is right in front of me. How can you win if u never try? I know by not losing. Ok, u have a point. But a lot of times, I spend $1 - $2 dollars, actually most of the time. I travel for work and to break from work. I keep track of how much I lose and win . My whole life gaming to date, I'm $85 dollars ahead. If I start with $2.00 & hit $10.00, I cash out. Put the ticket in my pocket. Take $2.00 cash out my pocket start over with my original amount I gave myself to lose that is it I never waver. Oh, I'm tempted, but I don't because I lose my $2.00 and go cash my ticket/tickers, and I now have 6.00 ahead. In 4 more days, I pass 3 more casinos. And now I'm 51.00 ahead. Ok, it's not much, but with food and gas, I make it 10 more days on that $51.00 Then I stop at some hole in the wall up on the slope of these LA mountains. No one ever wins in them. I drop 1.00, hit 68.00, cash out, and go home back to work. Had a great trip camped in the mountains a few days. went to the pier in the ocean side and fished no license needed off piers in California. Eat out every day. True, not much, but I like being thin. And stop and see friends and hang at the beach. Tortoise rock is a few blocks from where I'm staying and worked all winter. It has got to be the hardest place to squeeze $2.00, so I was ahead 9.00 for the whole time I gambled there 12 times. Then I tried craps. I won 20.00 before there. I play cat eyes and double 6's pay 15/1 & 30/1. Well, two nights ago, I Brock my 10.00 rule. Stuck 20.00 in Well I got to 30.00 I knew I should cash it. But first hand, let's see if I can double within 5 more rolls. Nope, hit 7 x 5 spins in a row! I thought if that's not riged, I'm a idiot. changed 3 crape machines, and each one did the same thing 3 to 5 times in a row hit 7 you out. Of Crouse, I was up set. That's got to be rigged. Really 13 x 7 back to back in a row 3 machines. Wow, I guess that was a lucky night? I've never seen anything like it! So, chock that up to I believe places do rig. So, I won't try that again. TRC I give it 2.75 stars why so much. It's clean employees a great, it out in no man's land. It's native american indian Casino. I like and love Dina' (the people). And if I don't try stepping in deep water, I hope I can win 1000.00 and just stick to my few dollar wins. I wouldn't be down to 85.00 dollars ahead for all time. Stop by if you're driving by 29 palms it's dialed lots of good eats in town mex, Chinese, and Japanese. The desert 🏜 is a wonder.

Can you believe $1000 from under 20.00 bet. Never has happened. I would be so flipped out. I guess it probably will never happen. It's so funny how I don't need anything or want anything with the money. I just want to win something substantial, not that it's much. But I would make sure I stayed over 1000.00 ahead the rest of my life and talk about it! I'm so stupid. Can you imagine I have been going around the last 10 years talking about being a Head a couple hundred dollars gambling for my whole life. Win 200 twice and 500 once. I didn't gamble it a way but used it to travel around California coast up north and went to Oregon camped out and painted some and wove a grass basket 3 years ago up by Jennier by the sea. Then, I returned home to Hawaii. I always go home. JT medicineman plant talker. I like to go to rock and new wave...

Update: 9/26/25 Came in to play the slots and decided if I had to order food I’d just get fries. My friend ordered the carne asada fries. After about 15 minutes I came back to check on the order and the gal behind the counter said, “It’s going to be a while”. Of course I’m wondering why but I shrug and walk back to the slots. At 25 min I walked back to see how two orders of fries are coming along. She seemed annoyed at this point that I was back. I explained that I don’t like cold fries so that’s why I was checking back. Then my curiosity got the better of me, I asked, why is it taking so long? She said, he has a steal on the grill so he can’t cook your food. I’m stunned that the cook has such a small grill he can only cook one thing at a time. In total it took 35 min to get our fries. Oh well, jokes on me, we should have gone to eat elsewhere.

I made my original review seven years ago. Since then, the casino has changed a lot. Some of it due to Covid some of it not. The little restaurant inside has gone completely downhill. The food takes 25 to 30 minutes to arrive at the counter. They no longer bring it to your table. It’s often cooked improperly or burnt. They’ll forget your sour cream, or guacamole if it came with your order. Then they expect you to tip for that. You can still get free drinks, but you have to walk up to the bar to get them. Occasionally, you’ll see a girl walking around offering drinks, but only once in a while can you spot her and she zips by so fast you’d have to trip her to get her attention. I figure at this point the drink service is only there so they can claim it on their website. They used to have a soda fountain and coffee area where you could just get your own drinks. The last time I was there all they had was Diet Coke, bottled water or sparkling water. I know you might say but it’s free, but it’s not really free if you’re losing $200 or $300 there. The slot machines are very tight every night and you can run through your money in less than an hour. Gone are the days when you could lose a little then win a little, lose a little then win a little and get enough entertainment for your money that you felt like it was worth it even if you lost. It’s hilarious when the slot machines go nuts with the noise and the words on the screen say big win and you only won $12.

I guess the best part about the place is that it has air conditioning at this point.

I’m adding a picture of my completely charred chicken in my teriyaki bowl.

So sad this old review doesn’t apply any more. 🫤

Small but fun. Free concerts Friday nights. Free soda and coffee.

Tonight's tribute to Loverboy band, Turn Me Loose was the best band so far this season. They were great! I hope they're invited back...

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: Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? 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,...