Casino Arizona

Casino Arizona is a casino and entertainment venue on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is independently owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC), and forms part of the community's broader Talking Stick Cultural & Entertainment Destination District. The property occupies approximately 20 acres near the intersection of McKellips Road and Loop 101. The casino began operations in 1998 in a temporary facility focused primarily on poker. Its initial operation contained 47 poker tables and employed approximately 240 people. The business expanded in early 1999 with the addition of 250 slot machines and roughly 180 employees. Later in 1999, a second temporary location opened near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road. Poker operations were moved to that site in August 2003, allowing the original property to continue developing its main casino offer. The McKellips Road property replaced its temporary structure with a permanent building in September 2000. At opening, the permanent facility included 500 slot machines, 50 table games, keno and bingo, as well as a Native American art exhibition. Its workforce had grown to approximately 1,200 employees. Bingo was subsequently removed to make room for additional games made available through a 2002 gaming expansion referendum, but the property brought bingo back in 2012. Today, Casino Arizona's gaming floor covers more than 100,000 square feet. The published property description identifies approximately 998 slot machines and 50 table-game positions, with offerings including blackjack, Three Card Poker, keno, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker and Casino War. A bingo hall with seating for up to 1,000 people is also part of the venue. The facility includes a 300-seat showroom and five restaurants, including Cholla Prime Steakhouse & Lounge, Eagles Buffet, Willows Restaurant, Salt River Café and Arizona Room Patio Grill. Beyond gaming, the property presents a collection of Native American pottery, baskets and jewelry. Its restaurant and entertainment facilities broaden the venue's role from a casino into a dining and leisure destination. The Arizona Room Patio Grill includes a 24-screen media wall for televised sporting events. Casino Arizona is located close to Talking Stick Resort, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Talking Stick Resort Golf Club, the Pavilions at Talking Stick Resort and Butterfly Wonderland, all of which are associated with the surrounding Talking Stick destination district. The property's development reflects the expansion of tribal gaming in Arizona. It evolved from a small temporary poker operation into a permanent, multi-format casino with gaming, dining, entertainment and cultural components. The former second temporary site was later auctioned, together with its contents, in 2010; the location ultimately became associated with Talking Stick Resort, which opened on April 15, 2010.

Casino Arizona opened in 1998 on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation in Scottsdale. The original facility was a temporary structure at the northeast corner of McKellips Road and Loop 101, organized primarily as a poker room with 47 tables and approximately 240 employees. In March 1999, the operation expanded by adding 250 slot machines and about 180 employees. A second temporary location opened later in 1999 near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road. This site was built as a sprung structure, providing additional space for the growing operation. Poker was transferred there in August 2003. The second facility and its contents were eventually auctioned to the public in 2010. The site later became associated with Talking Stick Resort, which opened on April 15, 2010. The original McKellips Road property underwent a major physical transformation. In September 2000, its temporary structure was replaced with a permanent building. The new facility opened with 500 slot machines, 50 table games, keno and bingo, alongside a Native American art exhibition. At that stage, employment had reached approximately 1,200 people. Bingo was later discontinued so the venue could use the space for additional games made available through a 2002 gaming expansion referendum. Bingo returned to the property in 2012. The completed property occupies about 20 acres and is approximately 48 feet high. Its gaming area covers more than 100,000 square feet. The facility's published gaming mix includes nearly 1,000 slot machines, blackjack and other table games, poker variants, keno and casino-style games. A bingo hall provides seating for up to 1,000 guests. The venue also contains five restaurants and a 300-seat showroom. Casino Arizona's non-gaming identity is closely connected to dining, sports viewing, entertainment and Native American cultural material. Its art collection includes pottery, baskets and jewelry described as culturally significant. Restaurants include Cholla Prime Steakhouse & Lounge, Eagles Buffet, Willows Restaurant, Salt River Café and Arizona Room Patio Grill; the latter includes a large media wall for sporting events. The casino operates within the broader Talking Stick Cultural & Entertainment Destination District, alongside attractions and venues such as Talking Stick Resort, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Talking Stick Resort Golf Club, the Pavilions at Talking Stick Resort and Butterfly Wonderland. Through this development, Casino Arizona has become part of a larger Scottsdale leisure and tourism cluster while remaining independently owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

• 2012

  Bingo returns

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  Casino Arizona reintroduces bingo after the space had previously been used for other games.

• 2010

  Second temporary facility is auctioned

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  The second sprung structure and its contents are auctioned. The site later becomes associated with Talking Stick Resort.

• 2003

  Poker moves to the second location

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  Poker operations are transferred to the temporary facility near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road.

• 2002

  Gaming expansion referendum supports additional games

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  A gaming expansion referendum makes additional games available, leading to the later reallocation of space previously used for bingo.

• 2000

  Permanent McKellips Road building opens

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  The original temporary structure is replaced by a permanent facility featuring slots, table games, keno, bingo and a Native American art exhibit.

• 1999

  Initial gaming expansion

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  The original operation adds 250 slot machines and approximately 180 employees. A second temporary location also opens near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road.

• 1998

  Casino Arizona opens as a temporary poker facility

  [1]Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org

  The casino begins operations in a temporary structure on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation with 47 poker tables and approximately 240 employees.

A tribally owned Scottsdale gaming and entertainment destination combining casino games, bingo, dining, live-show capacity and Native American cultural presentation.

• Casino gaming

  Slot machines

  Casino Arizona's gaming floor includes approximately 998 slot machines, forming one of the property's principal gaming categories. The machines operate alongside table games, poker variants, keno and bingo within a gaming area exceeding 100,000 square feet.

• Casino gaming

  Table games

  The property offers about 50 table-game positions. The published mix includes blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker and Casino War, giving the venue a combination of traditional and proprietary-style casino formats.

• Casino gaming · 1998

  Poker

  Poker was the foundation of Casino Arizona's original 1998 operation, which opened with 47 poker tables. Poker was later moved to the second temporary site near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road in August 2003.

• Casino gaming · 2012

  Bingo Hall

  The property includes a bingo hall with seating for up to 1,000 people. Bingo was part of the permanent facility's original offering, was later removed to make room for other games, and returned in 2012.

• Dining

  Restaurants

  Casino Arizona operates five named dining venues: Cholla Prime Steakhouse & Lounge, Eagles Buffet, Willows Restaurant, Salt River Café and Arizona Room Patio Grill. The offerings span steakhouse dining, buffet service, casual meals and sports-oriented patio dining.

• Entertainment venue

  Showroom

  The casino includes a showroom with seating for approximately 300 people, extending the property beyond gaming into live entertainment and hosted events.

• 2012

  Reintroduce bingoOther

  Background

  Bingo had previously been removed so that its space could be used for additional games made available through a 2002 gaming expansion referendum.

  Action taken

  Casino Arizona brought bingo back to the property.

  Aftermath

  The venue again offered bingo, including a dedicated hall with substantial guest seating.

  Source

• 2003

  Move poker operations to the second siteStrategy

  Background

  A second temporary location had opened in 1999 near Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road, creating additional operating space.

  Action taken

  Poker was relocated to the second facility in August 2003.

  Aftermath

  The move separated poker from the main McKellips Road property until the second temporary facility was later auctioned.

  Source

• 2000

  Replace the temporary casino with a permanent facilityStrategy

  Background

  Casino Arizona had operated from a temporary structure since opening in 1998 and had expanded its gaming offer during 1999.

  Action taken

  The operator replaced the original temporary building at McKellips Road and Loop 101 with a permanent casino facility.

  Aftermath

  The permanent property opened with slots, table games, keno, bingo, a Native American art exhibit and a substantially larger workforce.

  Source

1. 1Casino Arizonaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Casino Arizona official websitecasinoarizona.com