As screens turned dark around them as the clock inched closer to 5 p.m., people still spun the reels on still-operational slot machines at San Manuel Casino in Highland on Sunday, March 15, while patrons sat playing video poker at closed bars that were no longer serving drinks.

The scene was the beginning of a shutdown by the casino that would last through the end of the month amid concerns over the novel coronavirus. San Manuel was one of the first casinos to announce a plan for a temporary closure over the weekend, but soon they were joined by several other casinos on tribal land, including Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Augustine Casino in Coachella, Casino Pauma in Pauma Valley and Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center.