Patrons and gaming machines at the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort in Glendale, Arizona. Photo. WestValleyOpportunity

Compacts | Federal Register | Litigation

Tohono O'odham Nation wins approval of updated Class III gaming compact

Friday, July 21, 2017

The Tohono O'odham Nation has secured federal approval of its revised Class III gaming compact.

The tribe updated its agreement to settle a long-running dispute over the operations of the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort in Glendale, Arizona. The deal authorizes the addition of slot machines, table games and related offerings at the facility, which opened in December 2015 amid considerable controversy.

But don't expect to see slot machines overnight, Capitol Media Services reports. The tribe will need some time to replace the Class II devices, a spokesperson told the news outlet.

There also isn't much space in the current building for table games, according to Capitol Media Services. The tribe has announced a $400 million expansion but a bigger facility isn't expected to open until 2019.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs published notice of the approved Class III gaming compact in the Federal Register on Monday.

A day later, the tribe announced that it was dropping a lawsuit against the state, Capitol Media Services reported. The case sought to force the authorization of Class III games at the casino, which was achieved by the signing of the updated compact.

The state opposed the new development for years, claiming the tribe pursued it by fraudulent means. But the federal and state courts repeatedly confirmed the tribe's right to acquire new lands under a 1986 settlement and to use those lands for gaming.

Read More on the Story:
Gaming a go in Glendale, feds approve gaming compact (Capitol Media Services 7/21)

Federal Register Notice:
Indian Gaming; Approval of an Amendment to a Tribal-State Class III Gaming Compact in the State of Arizona (July 17, 2017)