In just two short days gamblers will be able to test their luck when the southern Arizona tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, opens the first phase of the Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley at the edge of Glendale, about nine miles (14 km) northwest of Downtown Phoenix.
The casino, located approximately one mile north of the Westgate Entertainment District and University of Phoenix Stadium, marks a turning point in the tribe’s continued efforts to test gaming compact limits governing American Indian casinos in the state since the 1980’s.
The tribe has prevailed over many opponents of the casino in Arizona, most notably the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community, which operate casinos in metro Phoenix and have spent more t…