Arizona’s newest casino held a “soft opening” ribbon-cutting event last weekend, attended by government officials.
The official grand opening to the general public of the Gila River Santan Mountain Casino is scheduled for June 30th.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Law Lewis and Maricopa County First District Superintendent Jack Sellers attended the ribbon cutting.
The complex is located on the southeast corner of Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway. There are no immediate plans to build a hotel or other large-scale resort on the site, but officials told media that such plans are being considered.
Construction took 20 months and cost $180 million, according to a news release. Gila River Resorts said it expects to bring more than 700 new jobs to the casino.
The casino includes a 33,000 square foot gaming floor, 813 slot machines, 25 table games, BetMGM sportsbook facility, outdoor gardens, event space, and three new dining options.
The resort says the BetMGM sportsbook is the state’s largest retail sports betting facility.
Gila River Resort and Casino CEO Kenneth Manuel praised the views and amenities in a news release.
“There is no gaming destination like this in Arizona,” Manuel said. “This growth is fully consistent with the company’s mission to promote economic stability for the Gila River Indian community and the state of Arizona.”
The resort group also said the addition of the fourth facility means that proceeds from Santan Mountain will directly fund infrastructure, education and security in the Gila River Indian community.
Proceeds from the casino are distributed statewide for the Arizona Tribal State Gaming Compact, which supports municipalities.
The opening weekend features two ticketed evening concerts by country music star and American Idol alum Gabby Barrett. A drone light show will be held in the outdoor garden immediately after the concert.
On July 2nd, the first 150 people to visit the Magic Lamp slot machine will win a free bet through the promotion and receive a commemorative t-shirt.
The casino website is playatgila.com/santan-mountain.
We invite our readers to submit their public opinion, pro or con, on this issue. Send an email to AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
Jason W. Brooks
Collaborator
@JasonWBrooks2
Jason W. Brooks is the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Independent.
He is in charge of the Buckeye area and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Brooks is a seasoned journalist who has documented the lives of small American communities in nearly every time zone. He was born in Washington, DC, grew up there and in the Los Angeles suburbs, and has covered his news in communities in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, and Nebraska.
