Yaamava’ Resort Casino Offering $300 To Complete Hot Dog Challenge

Posted on: August 9, 2023, 02:49h. 

Last updated on: August 9, 2023, 11:17h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Casinos are known for luring guests to their gaming floors with free promotional play. But for patrons at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel to take advantage of a $300 free-play incentive, they’ll need to come hungry.

Yaamava' Resort Casino San Manuel hot dog eating contest
Guests who can eat this 22-inch Mega Dog in under 15 minutes on August 11 at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel will receive $300 in free play from the tribal casino. The promotion will be limited to 10 minutes following Friday’s commencement of the eating challenge. (Image: Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel)

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians rebranded their economic engine in 2021 from the San Manuel Casino to the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel. The tribal casino and resort is located in Highland, Calif., roughly 70 miles east of Los Angeles.

The tribal casino is one of the largest and most financially successful Native American-owned gaming enterprises in the U.S. The casino features more than 7,200 slot machines and 150 table games.

The resort’s 17-story hotel offers 432 guest rooms. The property’s many amenities include more than a dozen full-service restaurants, a retail shopping center featuring Indigenous-made goods and clothing, and the 3,000-seat Yaamava’ Theater.

One of the tribal casino resort’s restaurant concepts is called The 909, the name in reference to the area’s telephone code. The 909 is billed as the “ultimate sports bar” and food hall that features four distinct options: JBQ, Get It Grill, Thai Chi 2, and Pizza Mayhem.

Hot Dog Contest

The 909 specializes in craft beer and cocktails, and quick bar eats like hot dogs. The food hall’s latest culinary offering is a 22-inch, 3,000-calorie hot dog called the Mega Dog.

This Friday, August 11, The 909 is inviting guests for a solo attempt to chow down the Mega Dog. Those who manage to wolf down the dog topped with cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, pickled jalapenos, red onions, green jalapeno sauce, and white sauce within 15 minutes will win $300 in casino credit. The Mega Dog challenge costs $25, with the entry fee waived for winners.

Professional competitive eater Matt Stonie will be on hand this Friday to cheer on those who take on the Mega Dog. Along with the $300 gaming incentive, winners who manage to consume the 22-inch dog, bun, and toppings within 15 minutes will have their photo placed in the Mega Dog Hall of Fame and will receive a complimentary T-shirt honoring their feat.

Stonie says Yaamava’ guests who accept the Mega Dog challenge might be smart to first eat what they like before tackling what they don’t.

I think that will help you mentally get into the rhythm of things, and enjoy and destroy the hotdog,” Stonie told the San Bernardino Sun.

Stonie is best known for breaking up Joey Chestnut’s streak of winning the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest on New York’s Coney Island during the July 4 holiday. Stonie won the 2015 event by consuming 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Chestnut ate 60 that year.

Chestnut, however, won the past eight Nathan’s hot dog eating competitions, including last month’s showdown. Aside from Stonie’s victory, Chestnut has been the Nathan’s victor every year since 2007.

Challenge Ongoing

For guests who can’t make it to Yaamava’ this Friday, The 909 will continue offering the Mega Dog challenge throughout the year, but only for Club Serrano members. Club Serrano is the casino’s loyalty program.

The cost, however, will be raised to $30 per attempt, and the time limit for a single person to get the dog down is reduced to just 10 minutes. Winners will receive similar perks, including $300 in free play, a shirt, and an introduction to the Mega Dog Hall of Fame.