The Gila River Indian Community is in the works of adding its fourth casino, the Santan Mountain Casino.
Located south of Chandler near Gilbert, the Santan Mountain Casino is expected to open at the end of 2023. The casino will also be home to a BetMGM sportsbook.
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The Arizona Indian Gaming Compact was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey back in April 2021. It not only brought sports betting to the state but also approved the new casino by the Gila River Indian Community.
The New Arizona Casino by the Gila River Indian Community
Back in 2021, Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis said in a statement the tribe has been negotiating for years with the state for an amended compact. He said the fourth casino is “historic news” for the community.
“Adding a fourth casino will bring additional revenue, security, and critical services to Community members. In addition, we anticipate being able to add hundreds of new jobs that Community members can take advantage of, and we expect that many of those will be filled by Community members.”
The fourth Gila River Casino will include 850 slot machines, a high-limit gaming salon, table games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, and a retail sportsbook by BetMGM.
The $150 million construction project broke ground on Oct. 18, 2021. The goal is to open late in 2023.
The Santan Mountain Casino joins three other Gila River Casinos in the Valley of the Sun. All of these include slot machines, table games, and a BetMGM sportsbook as well.
The Gila River Hotel and Casino at Vee Quiva is located in Laveen, just west of Phoenix. The Gila River Hotel and Casino at Wild Horse Pass is located in Chandler, and so is the Gila River Hotel and Casino at Lone Butte.
Arizona and BetMGM Sportsbooks
When Arizona sports betting became legal in the fall of 2021, the Gila River Indian Community was one of the first of 10 tribes to partner with a sportsbook.
In fact, the BetMGM and Gila River Indian Community partnership marked the 10th sports betting partnership in the state of Arizona. And the BetMGM sportsbooks at the already open Gila River Hotels and Casinos were some of the first retail sportsbooks in the state to open their doors.
BetMGM also partnered with the Arizona Cardinals and is building a state-of-the-art sportsbook at State Farm Stadium, home of the Cardinals. This marks the first in-stadium sportsbook in the NFL and is scheduled to open before the Cardinals kick off their season at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 11.
State Farm Stadium is hosting the Super Bowl in February of 2023, making the BetMGM sportsbook the first sportsbook to be open inside a stadium hosting a championship game.
Where You Can Find BetMGM Sportsbooks in Arizona
- Gila River Hotel and Casino at Vee Quiva
- Gila River Hotel and Casino at Wild Horse Pass
- Gila River Hotel and Casino at Lone Butte
- Coming Soon: State Farm Stadium
Photo provided by Gila River Hotels & Casinos
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