Tohono O'odham Nation hires 400 for opening of Class II casino

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Artist's rendering of the West Valley Resort under construction in Glendale, Arizona. Image from WVR

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The opening of the new Tohono O'odham Nation casino in Glendale, Arizona, is less than two months away.

The tribe hired 400 people to work at the West Valley Resort, The Glendale Star reported. The initial facility will open in December with only Class II machines due to an ongoing dispute with the state.

But patrons might not notice much of a difference thanks to advances in technology. Don Ayers, the director of slot machines for Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, said the tribe has ordered state-of-the-art devices that will be based on the Synkros system.

"It’s just the beginning, but with SYNKROS at the core, we have access to a number of important industry-leading technology features down the road,' Ayers told the paper.

The tribe is suing the Department of Gaming in hopes of certifying the West Valley Resort for Class III devices like slot machines. The federal judge handling the case noted that the tribe's own analysts predicted a successful operation with just Class II machines.

Get the Story:
Slot machines ordered; Class II casinos explained (The Glendale Star 10/15)
Franks says Tohono O’odham Nation deceived state in casino quest (Capitol Media Services 10/14)