Is Hard Rock Tejon Happening? | Las Vegas Advisor

Regarding Hard Rock Tejon, Mr. McKee mentioned about a year ago this might happen. Looks like it really might?

[Editor's Note: Mister McKee (David) is happy to answer this one.]

No “might” about it, friend. Hard Rock Tejon is here and — by the time you read this — it will be open.

Its November 13 debut was, in fact, sooner than planned. On its 150,000-square-foot casino floor are 2,000-plus slots and 58 table games, including VIP rooms for blackjack and baccarat. So clearly, Hard Rock is thinking upscale.

Hard Rock Tejon sits at the foot of Grapevine Mountain Pass, 15 minutes south of Bakersfield, California, on land owned by the Tejon Tribe. It's a joint venture between the tribe and Hard Rock.

Does Las Vegas have anything to worry about from it? Not really, although it may peel off some weekend visitors who balk at gas prices and traffic congestion to and from Sin City. I-15 isn’t widening itself and continues to pose a formidable disincentive for the drive-in crowd. Also, high-speed rail to and from the greater Bakersfield metro area is poised to suffer from the long development timeline.

While Las Vegas may lose little sleep, Hard Rock Tejon could easily be the final nail in the coffin for Primm. Hard Rock has the strongest-performing and most lucrative brand in gambling (regardless of what Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International claim). Its casinos all but invariably outperform their markets, whether in Atlantic City, Chicagoland, or Miami. Given the worn and financially challenged nature of the Primm resorts, they'll be hard put to come back in the face of such a puissant rival.

That’s despite a distinct lack of curb appeal at Hard Rock Tejon. Surrounded by surface parking, it looks like a car dealership, at least in its temporary iteration. The permanent incarnation, whose completion date is shrouded in the mists of time, will look a great deal nicer, if the renderings are any guide. And if Hard Rock’s performance in Gary, Indiana, is any indication, customers will flock to the brand, no matter how warehouse-like the temporary casino appears from the outside.

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Vegas Fan Nov-22-2025

Um...

California?

John Dulley Nov-22-2025

Warehouse is right

Wow I was curious how it looks and it DOES look like a warehouse! I don’t know the area but doesn’t seem like much is around it. But I trust Mr McKee and his opinions on how it’ll do..

Crazy Nov-22-2025

Primm?!?

I am baffled by the reference to Primm.
It doesn’t make sense. 
It’s not even Primm Resorts anymore, two of the three casinos have been closed, the remaining one is comatose, the nearby Primm mall has been dead for years.
Tejon is a long long way from Primm.
Is it possible he was mixing up Tejon Pass with the much closer Cajun Pass?

Donzack Nov-22-2025

Rockford Illinois

Hard Rock  in Rockford,one hour from Chicago right off the tollway,is very new and clean. I go about 7 a.m. No rif raf  to deal with. Too bad they don’t have great video poker.., they would give American casino in Waukegan a good run. If you like good entertainment  Hard Rock has it. They had Mike Tyson there recently. If it’s a Hard Rock location, is the property considered  an Indian reservation?

Kevin Lewis Nov-22-2025

Reference to Primm

The Primm casinos, together with the Jean casinos just up the road, touted themselves as a Vegas alternative--an hour closer to LA, and less crowded and expensive. With a total of five casinos and lots of cheap rooms, it was all doing well. But Covid crushed it all (though the whole mess was already in decline).

Nonetheless, as alluded to in the QoD answer, being a shorter trip from LA is still a powerful attractant. The Palm Springs area casinos do well for that reason. A Tejon Pass casino would be just about the same distance away.

Bob Nov-22-2025

Casino?

I remember when he nicest  thing along that stretch of I5 was a Chevron Station

Esloth Nov-24-2025

Smoke and Trash

I spent Friday and Saturday there. The weekend after the Thursday opening. the new machines are nice but the place looked like a giant frat party remains. Trash everywhere, overflowing ashtrays, sticky bars and bartop machines. Huge lines at the ATMs, small casino cage(the high limit cage was not open at all) the ATMs were mostly out of order (out of money?). If they can get the place cleaned up and you can stand the smoking, it will be worth the stop driving up or down the 5 freeway.

Question of the Day - 22 November 2025

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