A plan that has been in the talking stage for nearly two decades appears to be on the verge of becoming reality with the announcement by the Gila River Casinos that it will build a new large casino some 10 miles to the south of Chandler.
The enterprise group of the Gila River Indian Community, Gila River Casinos, says the new casino will go up on currently vacant land near the intersection of Hunt Highway and Gilbert Road.
It is expected that it will cost upwards of $100 million to build the new casino, and that it may take around two years to complete the project.
Gila River Casinos currently operates casinos in Lone Butte and Laveen. The 10,000 square foot Wild Horse Pass casino was opened by the Gila River Casinos in the fall of 2009.
In a statement, Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, said the new casino will bring “additional revenue, security, and critical services to community members.”
The path was cleared for the construction of a new casino as a result of discussions earlier this year pertaining to the legalization of sports betting in Arizona.
In May it was announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 16 tribal groups, and the State of Arizona had come to a series of agreements that included allowing for 55 new tribal casinos in the state.
According to reports, Gila River Casinos is currently in the preliminary phase of building the new casino, with plans just announced to soon sign on an architect for the project.
It is not yet known when exactly construction on the new casino will begin.
Last year, Gila River Casinos started work on the expansion of its Wild Horse Pass casino property, a $143 million project featuring an 11-story hotel tower.
By Garry Boulard
