Hard Rock Tejon Celebrates Grand Opening in California’s Kern County

^{The exterior of the newly opened Hard Rock Casino Tejon, now one of California’s largest tribal casinos. (Photo: @PentaBG on X)} 

The Hard Rock Casino Tejon officially opened to the public on Thursday, November 13, bringing a major gaming destination within 90 miles of Los Angeles.

The casino was built through a partnership between the Tejon Indian Tribe and Hard Rock International, and sits in Mettler, just south of Bakersfield.

Tejon Tribe Celebrates a ‘Historic Day’

Hard Rock Tejon’s grand opening celebration featured a guitar smash ceremony, a performance by country artist Brett Young, and a tribal blessing for the facility.

“Today is a historic day for the Tejon Indian Tribe and for Kern County,” Tejon Indian Tribe Chairman Octavio Escobedo III said. “This destination represents our Tribe’s vision, resilience, and longstanding commitment to creating opportunity for future generations.”

The casino features over 2,000 slot machines and over 50 table games along with VIP high-limit rooms. There are also several dining options – led by the Hard Rock Cafe itself – with a 400-room hotel. A 2,800-seat Hard Rock Live concert venue is also planned for future development.

“Hard Rock Casino Tejon is only the beginning,” Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen said. “Phase II will bring the full Hard Rock experience to life with a world-class hotel and Hard Rock Live entertainment venue that will make Kern County a premier destination for travelers, artists, and fans from across California and beyond.”

The casino opening attracted thousands of eager guests who waited in long lines for the facility to open its doors on Thursday morning. 

“From the moment the doors opened, the energy was electric and the response exceeded all expectations,” Hard Rock Casino Tejon President Chris Kelley told SFGATE.

Local Businesses Expect a Boost

Beyond the gaming floor, the opening of the casino has also created excitement at other businesses in Mettler and throughout Kern Valley. Nearby businesses, like the Tejon Outlets, have high hopes that casino visitors will continue to spend money after they’re done gambling at local venues like theirs.

“We do believe [the casino] is going to help foot traffic even more here at the Outlets at Tejon,” Becca Bland, marketing director for the Tejon Ranch Company – the owners of the Tejon Outlets – told KGET. “We have a six-minute drive to the Outlets. It’s gonna help foot traffic, it’s gonna help the restaurants, the gas stations, all the places in the surrounding area.”

The Tejon tribe was able to begin its work to build a casino on its lands only after a decades-long battle for federal recognition ended in 2011. The tribe received federal approval for the project in 2021, then reached an agreement on a gaming compact with the state of California in 2022. Construction began in early 2024.

Now, with doors officially open, Hard Rock Tejon has debuted as the newest major tribal casino in California and a prime gambling destination close to Los Angeles.