Arizona agency threatens to block Tohono O'odham Nation casino

Friday, April 17, 2015

Chairman Ned Norris Jr. signed the last steel beam that's part of the initial structure for the West Valley Resort near Glendale, Arizona. Photo from Facebook

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The Arizona Department of Gaming is threatening to stop the Tohono O'odham Nation from opening an off-reservation casino.

The agency's director claims the tribe perpetrated a "fraud" by pursuing the West Valley Resort on newly acquired trust lands. The department won't issue any certifications for the facility, a move that Chairman Ned Norris Jr. characterized as illegal.

“I wasn’t sure it was possible, but the opposition has stooped to a new low," Norris said in a press release.

Artist's rendering of the West Valley Resort near Glendale, Arizona. Image from Facebook

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The land for the casino is already in trust so the state lacks jurisdiction there. But the Department of Gaming claims it can deny certifications pursuant to its authority under the Class III gaming compact.

The tribe plans to open an initial facility at the site near Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, by the end of this year.

Get the Story:
State gaming agency will block W. Valley casino opening (The Arizona Republic 4/17)

Some Opinions:
EJ Montini: Casino war: Tribe rewriting Old West movie scripts (The Arizona Republic 4/17)
Laurie Roberts: Ducey should play fair in casino fight (and here's how) (The Arizona Republic 4/17) Related Stories:
House panel backs bill to block Tohono O'odham Nation casino (03/26)
Ned Norris: Tohono O'odham Nation casino a boost to economy (03/10)
Tohono O'odham Nation spends $200M on first phase of casino (3/2)
Opinion: Republicans will block Tohono O'odham Nation casino (2/23)
Tohono O'odham Nation casino won't invoke compact provision (02/09)