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Tohono O'odham Nation welcomes large crowd to new casino

Monday, December 21, 2015

Tohono O'odham Nation leaders opened the doors to the new Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley in Glendale, Arizona, on December 20, 2015. Photo: WestValleyOpportunity

The lines stretched out the door as the Tohono O'odham Nation opened Arizona's newest casino on Sunday.

Some people waited overnight at the $200 million Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley in Glendale, The Arizona Republic reported. The 48,775 square-foot facility was so busy that the parking lot had to be closed for awhile, The Daily News-Sun reported, although that didn't deter the festive and emotional atmosphere.

“We had a lot of setbacks, a lot of challenges and a lot of resistance from different people but we finally got here, we finally got to open,” Chairman Edward Manuel told KJZZ.

The casino features about 1,000 gaming machines. The tribe is currently restricted to Class II devices because the state won't certify the facility under the Class III gaming compact, an issue that is the subject of litigation in federal court.

The tribe plans to invest another $200 million on a bigger casino after the Class III dispute is resolved.

Get the Story:
Desert Diamond Casino gives advance look to Tohono O'Odham, W.V. elected officials (The Daily News-Sun 12/20)
Tohono O’odham Casino Near Glendale Opens Amid Ongoing Litigation (KJZZ 12/20)
O'odham open Glendale casino without full gambling (AP 12/20)
Open for business: New West Valley casino bordering Glendale draws thousands (The Daily News-Sun 12/21)
Desert Diamond Casino near Glendale opens to fanfare (The Arizona Republic 12/21)
The Tohono O'odham Nation opens the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley (The Arizona Republic 12/21) Related Stories:
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Tohono O'odham Nation set to open new casino on December 20 (12/14)
Tohono O'odham Nation eyes more development at new casino (11/19)
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Tohono O'odham Nation secures major victory in casino fight (11/17)
House votes on bill to stop Tohono O'odham Nation casino (11/16)
Edward Manuel: Tohono O'odham Nation creates opportunity (11/13)
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Tohono O'odham Nation sets December 20 opening for casino (10/30)
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