UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                             ----------------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):      March 16, 2005

                          MONARCH CASINO & RESORT, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          NEVADA                     0-22088                  88-0300760
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission             (I.R.S. Employer
      of incorporation)             File Number)          Identification No.)


     1175 W. Moana Lane, Suite 200
            Reno, NEVADA                                          89509
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                        (Zip Code)



                                 (775)825-3355
              ----------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 NOT APPLICABLE
              ----------------------------------------------------
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)





ITEM 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure

     On March 16, 2005, Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (the "Company") issued a
press release announcing a 2 for 1 split of the Company's common stock.  The
record date for the stock split is March 17, 2005 and trading on a split
adjusted basis will begin on March 31, 2005.  A copy of the press release is
attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference.



ITEM 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits

     (c) EXHIBITS

         99.1  Text of press release dated February 15, 2005.











































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                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                          MONARCH CASINO & RESORT, INC.


Date:    March 16, 2005                By: /s/ Ben Farahi
                                              -------------------------
                                       Name:   Ben Farahi
                                       Title:  Chief Financial Officer,
                                               Treasurer and Secretary












































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                                                                  Exhibit 99.1

                                PRESS RELEASE

          MONARCH CASINO & RESORT, INC. ANNOUNCES 2 FOR 1 STOCK SPLIT


     RENO, NV- March 16, 2005 - Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRI)
(the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a
two-for-one split of the Company's common stock resulting in the increase in
the number of common shares issued from approximately 9.5 million  to
approximately 19.1 million.

     Each shareholder of record at the close of business on March 17, 2005,
will receive one additional share for every outstanding share held on the
record date, and trading will begin on a split-adjusted basis on March 31,
2005.

     Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, owns
and operates the tropically-themed Atlantis Casino Resort in Reno, Nevada.
The Atlantis is the closest hotel-casino to and is directly across the street
from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.  The Atlantis is recognizable due to
its Sky Terrace, a unique structure rising approximately 55 feet from street
level and spanning 160 feet across the street with no intermediate support
pillars. The Sky Terrace connects the Atlantis to a 16-acre parcel of land
owned by the Company, that is compliant with all casino zoning requirements,
is suitable and available for future expansion of the Atlantis facilities and
is currently being used by the Company as additional paved parking for the
Atlantis.  The existing Atlantis site offers almost 1,000 guest rooms in three
contiguous high-rise hotel towers and a motor lodge. The tropically-themed
Atlantis features approximately 51,000 square feet of high-energy casino space
with 37 table games and approximately 1,450 slot and video poker machines, a
sports book, Keno and a poker room, and offers a variety of dining choices in
the form of nine high-quality food outlets.

     Statements in this release that are not historical fact are "forward
looking" statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
that involve risks and/or uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ from expectations, including the risks and/or uncertainties as
described in the company's public filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts:  Ben Farahi at (775) 825-3355 or benfarahi@monarchcasino.com
           Karl G. Brokmann at (775) 825-3355 or kbrokmann@monarchcasino.com














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