“Funner, California” — the town that serves as the backdrop Harrah’s Resort Southern California advertising campaigns — has a new mayor.
Caesars Entertainment announced Monday that actor Jane Lynch is the new mayor Funner. Lynch, also an acclaimed author and comedian, succeeds Rob Riggle and David Hasselhoff as the fictitious mayor of the gaming town.
To be factually accurate, Funner is actually Valley Center, Calif. Funner’s origins date back to 2012 when the Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians — the gaming venue’s owner — was looking for a unique ad campaign to set itself apart from the dozens of tribal casinos in Southern California.
The Funner concept sparked a variety of additions and enhancements to the casino-hotel with the tribe being devoted to the idea, though it wasn’t until August that leaders of the tribal council voted to make Funner the home of the integrated resort. That year, Hasselhoff was proclaimed mayor.