Navajo Nation prepares to open first casino in October

Tuesday, June 17, 2008  

The Navajo Nation is set to open its first casino in October.

The $22 million Fire Rock Casino is located near Gallup, New Mexico. The 65,000-square-foot facility will house 300 slot machines, table games and a bingo hall.

"I really don't know what to do with myself," President Joe Shirley Jr. told The Albuquerque Journal. "I've been looking forward to this day for a long time."

The casino is expected to bring in $32 million in its first year. A second facility, to be located near Flagstaff, Arizona, could pull in $46 million in its first year.

Overall, the tribe plans to open five casino in New Mexico and Arizona. The tribe has Class III gaming compacts in both states.

Get the Story:
Navajos Bet on Gambling (The Albuquerque Journal 6/17)