Tohono O'odham Nation set to open new casino on December 20


A view of the gaming floor at the Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley in Glendale, Arizona. Photo from Facebook

Barring last-minute action in Congress, the Tohono O'odham Nation is opening Arizona's newest casino on Sunday, December 20.

Workers have been busy installing more than 1,000 electronic machines at the Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley in Glendale. The facility will only offer Class II games at this point due to pending litigation between the state and the tribe.

The project otherwise has survived a slew of challenges in federal and state court. The tribe also has succeeded on Capitol Hill, beating back H.R.308, the Keep the Promise Act, a bill that would have blocked the casino, last month.

It's possible that Congress could still try to revive the controversy with a rider in a must-pass bill, such as the omnibus appropriations act. But once the casino opens, it will be harder to justify taking action because the Congressional Budget Office said it could cost the federal government as much as $1 billion if the tribe pursues a damages claim.

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