Ongoing construction on the West Valley Resort in Glendale, Arizona. Photo from Facebook
The Tohono O'odham Nation is back in court to defend its controversial casino near Glendale, Arizona. The tribe sued Gov. Steve Ducey (R) and the Department of Gaming last week, arguing that state officials are illegally blocking certification of the West Valley Resort that's due to open later this year. The complaint also accuses the state of threatening vendors that do business with the tribe. The city of Glendale officially supports the casino. The tribe signed an agreement to address municipal services, infrastructure and other issues at the facility. "Our residents are counting on the thousands of jobs the casino is creating, and the positive economic and entertainment opportunities this project brings to the community," council member Gary Sherwood told The Arizona Republic. "Our local businesses need the extra tourism dollars it will bring to our community and our budget is counting on the funding the casino will bring when it opens later this year."
Arizona Casino Wars: Tribes battle over new gaming facility in the Phoenix area
Not everyone in the area supports the new development, though. Some communities argue that the Class III gaming compact prohibited new casinos in the Phoenix area even though a federal judge rejected that claim. "Allowing the Tohono O'odhams to break their promise would be unfair to those who relied on this promise, including businesses which would now be forced to compete with an unregulated and untaxed business," Mayor Thomas Schoaf of Litchfield Park, a community near Glendale, told the paper. The Gila River Indian Community and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community also oppose the casino. The tribes are lobbying Congress to bar gaming at the Glendale site although they operate a total of five gaming facilities near Phoenix. The Keep the Promise Act (S.152 | H.R. 308) doesn't mention any tribes by name. It bars Class II and Class III gaming newly acquired trust lands in the Phoenix area -- a condition that only applies to the Tohono O'odham Nation. The bill is ready for consideration on the Senate and House floor. Get the Story:
West Valley leaders on next move in casino clash (The Arizona Republic 6/29)
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