The Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise (TOGE) opened its new Desert Diamond Casino West Valley to the public Wednesday night. The state of the art Class III casino features more than 1,100 slot machines, 36 poker tables, 48 blackjack tables, and live bingo, as well as five dining venues, VIP lounge, and other amenities.
The 1.2 million square-foot facility is located on 54 acres of reservation land at 9431 W. Northern Avenue near the cities of Glendale and Peoria, Ariz. The new casino complements the region’s vibrant sports and entertainment attractions, including Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District and Peoria’s P83 Entertainment District. With nearly 2,000 team members, Desert Diamond Casino West Valley is one of the region’s largest employers.
Dr. Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation said “This historic day is one that our entire Nation has been looking forward to for many years. We are creating a brighter future for the Tohono O’odham, the West Valley, and Arizona. The Nation is grateful for the incredible support the project has received from the community, and we will continue working with our partners to create even greater opportunity for us all.”
Rudy Prieto, CEO of the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise said, “We’re so excited to welcome our guests to this fantastic new facility. Our construction team and all of our team members have done great work preparing for this opening, and we invite everyone to visit this beautiful new casino. From exciting games to great food, we have everything you need for an unforgettable experience!”
The Tohono O’odham Nation first announced the casino project on Jan. 29, 2009. Despite multiple challenges from special interests, an interim casino opened to huge crowds on Dec. 20, 2015. The full-scale casino broke ground on Dec. 1, 2017; construction workers spent over one million hours building the $400 million facility. TOGE will continue to develop its West Valley property in future phases of construction, with preliminary plans for a hotel, spa and convention center.
Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, with three locations in Southern Arizona (Tucson, Sahuarita, and Why) and one in the West Valley, is owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, an enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Additional information can be found at www.ddcaz.com or by calling 833-DDC-2WIN. Follow Desert Diamond Casino West Valley on Twitter (@DDCWestValley), Facebook (@DDCWestValley), and Instagram (@DiamondCasinos).
