With Arizona expanding gambling options, a new casino outside of Phoenix is in the works.
The Gila River Indian Community recently announced that it plans to build the new casino south of Chandler near the intersection of Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway. It will be the fourth casino for Gila River.
The new compact with the state allowed for a fourth casino. The tribe has casinos in Wild Horse Pass and Lone Butte (Chandler) and Vee Quiva (Laveen). The new casino is expected to take a year-and-a-half to two years to complete and cost about $100 million, according to azcentral.com.
Games offered at the new site will include those allowed under the amending compact. There will be new table games and sports betting in Arizona, the azcentral.com report said.
“Adding a fourth casino will bring additional revenue, security, and critical services to community members,” Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said in a statement released to news organizations. “In addition, we anticipate being able to add hundreds of new jobs that Community members can take advantage of, and we expect that many of those will be filled by Community members.”
The Community Council of the tribe on June 18 approved the casino, including a budget for the design and construction of the project, according to published reports.
Gila River is reportedly expected to partner with BetMGM Arizona for sports betting, although a formal announcement has not been made.
Legislation & Compact Signed
Sports betting was passed by the Arizona state legislature on April 12. Three days later Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill into law, officially legalizing sports wagering across the state.
On May 12, the U.S. Department of Interior approved the amended Arizona tribal-state gaming compact, finalizing the agreement that modernizes gaming. The compact was negotiated and signed by Ducey and the state’s tribal leaders.
It was announced on June 2 that the state intends for sports betting to launch on Sept. 9, the day the 2021 NFL season kicks off with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This will allow sports bettors to take advantage of AZ NFL betting. The Cardinals play their first game on Sept. 12 against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.
