The exterior of the Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley in Glendale, Arizona, is taking shape ahead of its December 20, 2015, opening. Photo from Facebook
The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona is gearing up for a major casino opening a little over a month from now. The Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley in Glendale will debut on December 20. The tribe has so far filled 400 of 500 permanent positions and has installed nearly half of the 1,089 gaming devices on the floor, according to a press release. The exterior is also taking shape. Photos posted on Facebook show casino signage for the new yet highly controversial facility that the state and rival tribes are trying to stop. But so far, the Tohono O'odham Nation has emerged victorious from nearly every battle. Just last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the state from annexing the tribe's trust land without its consent.
Arizona Casino Wars: Tribes battle over new gaming facility in the Phoenix area
“It is time for the state of Arizona to stop its costly attempts to kill more than 500 new jobs here in Arizona," Chairman Edward Manuel said in a press release after the November 6 decision. "With the opening only six weeks away, it is time to move forward with local communities and the public in support of this positive economic opportunity.” The casino is set to offer only Class II games because the Arizona Department of Gaming is refusing to certify the facility, claiming the tribe pursued it through fraudulent means. A lawsuit in federal court could resolve that issue before the opening date. But the tribe has updated its agreement with the city of Glendale to ensure that revenue sharing and other payments will flow regardless of the types of gaming offered there. "We want to thank the Glendale City Council for unanimously approving an update to our agreement with the City to make it apply to both Class II and Class III gaming," the tribe said in Facebook. Get the Story:
Tohono O’odham wins decision in Ninth Circuit (The Peoria Times 11/12) 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Tohono O'odham Nation v. Glendale (November 6, 2015)
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