Desert Diamond Casinos are owned and operated by the Tohono Oʼodham Nation within the borders of the U.S. state of Arizona.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Tohono O'odham Nation |
| Headquarters | Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
Area served | Central and Southern Arizona |
Key people | Mike Bean (CEO) |
| Products | Casinos Hotels Entertainment Resorts |
| Revenue | $390.7 million (2019)[1] |
Number of employees | 2,900 |
| Website | www |
Desert Diamond Casinos currently operates in four locations in Arizona: Tucson, Sahuarita, Why, and West Valley (Glendale). The newest location, White Tanks, is set to open on December 18, 2024.
History
editWhile trying to construct the West Valley location, the Tohono O’odham Nation came into conflict with the government of Arizona. The Nation wanted to build a Class lll gaming facility, which would include table games, but the state opposed this.[2] The Nation went to court to get the state to follow the law, which states that gambling is permitted on Indian reservations through compacts signed between the state and tribes.[3]
The West Valley casino opened in 2015 but the state denied it a Class III license, only granting a Class II license. The casino instead offers bingo-style slot machines but no card tables and no state license to serve alcohol.
In May of 2017, the state of Arizona and the Tohono O'odham Nation settled the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement allow the tribe tribe to operate full-fledged gambling and sell alcohol at its casino in Glendale but bar it from opening more gambling operations in the Valley.[4]
The tribe plans a fifth casino, which the state has authorized. Plans include a 110-acre site at the southeast corner of the Loop 303 freeway and Northern Parkway. The land was part of a pre-annexation development agreement by the City of Glendale since 2012, however, the Glendale City Council terminated the agreement in early 2021 to allow the Tohono O'odham Nation to build their new casino.[5]
In April 2023, the fifth casino broke ground with officials and members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, the tribe that owns the casino, present. Surrounding city officials from Glendale, Peoria, Buckeye, Tolleson, Surprise, and El Mirage also took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. The new casino is projected to be 184,000-square-feet and be completed in November 2024.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Desert Diamond Casinos". Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- ^ "Desert Diamond Casino preparing to open in December". 12news.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Gaming Compact & Statutes | Arizona Department of Gaming". gaming.az.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Settlement ends long-running dispute over Glendale casino". 12news.com. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ^ "Desert Diamond Casino (Future)". www.500nations.com. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
- ^ Rogers, Jordan (2023-04-12). "New Desert Diamond Casino breaks ground". West Valley View. Retrieved 2023-07-18.