Gila River Resumes Activity On New Casino Near Chandler

A Gila River Chandler casino is back on the agenda after nearly 15 years, due to a new gaming compact between the Gila River Indian Community and the state of Arizona. This new agreement will bring a new AZ tribal casino to the eastern suburbs of Phoenix.

The facility will feature all the benefits that the compacts offer to the tribal community. Plans for the facility also indicate the community’s ambition to vie for an AZ sports betting license.

Plans are underway for a Gila River casino in Chandler.

Alison Steinbach from the Arizona Republic reports that Gila Rivers Casinos is set to construct a new casino on its own property, located south of Chandler. The land is next to Gilbert Rd and Hunt Hwy.

Once opened, this will be the fourth casino under the Gila River brand. It will also be the third in close proximity to Chandler, joining the Lone Butte and Wild Horse Pass casinos. Near Laveen, one can find the Vee Quiva Casino.

The project was green-lit by community leaders on June 18, but this is actually a revival of plans they had put on hold in 2007. At that period, the community chose to construct the Lone Butte property at its existing site near Loop 202.

The current plan is to finish construction in two years. The forecasts also predict the creation of 1,000 ongoing jobs and estimate the cost of the complex to be over $100 million.

Patrons of the other three Gila River casinos will find much of what they are used to at the new property, including a hotel. The new table games introduced to tribal casino operators in AZ, such as baccarat, craps, and roulette, will also be accessible.

The plans also incorporate a new form of gambling previously unseen in AZ tribal casinos. However, the decision of whether the casino will offer it is not determined solely by the compact terms.

Gila River Casinos wagering on a license

Legal sports wagering will soon be available in some of the tribal casinos in Arizona (AZ). However, even though there are 24 tribal casino operators in AZ with compacts, only 10 licenses are available for distribution among them.

So far, it’s unclear whether 11 or more potential licensees will apply for a license. Additionally, the AZ Dept. of Gaming has yet to reveal its process for determining which applicants are unsuccessful and which are successful in that situation.

The plans for the new casino do encompass a sportsbook, indicating that Gila River Casinos intends to participate. Contrary to the decision of building the casino on their autonomous land, the state will have some influence in this matter.

More than 30 residents living close to the new casino site have voiced their worries about traffic congestion and noise pollution to the leaders of Chandler. However, even if the city strongly objected to the project, they would be powerless to stop it.

The Gila River Community possesses the land and the terms of the compact provide them with the flexibility to manage a fourth casino. The same compact also allows them to potentially operate a sportsbook on the premises, provided they can obtain a license.