Arizona’s Desert Diamond Casino holds topping-off ceremony
The Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise broke ground on the casino in April.
US.- The Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise has held a topping-off ceremony for its Desert Diamond Casino as it begins to close out the final steel sequence for what will be its fifth venue. The company broke ground on the $450m project in the west of Glendale, Arizona, in April.
The first stage will include a 184,000-square-foot-casino floor with 900 Class III slot machines, a 12-table poker room, a retail sportsbook and 30 table games like blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat as well as dining and other facilities. A 3,400-space parking structure and surface parking will also be built.
The building has been designed by JCJ Architecture and will include a hotel, conference centre, outdoor pool and recreational amenities. The construction will be led by the Hunt/Penta Joint Venture as a general contractor. The project is expected to create 5,500 jobs during construction, with the casino and resort to employ 1,300 upon completion.
Verlon Jose, chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, said: “Today is a major milestone for the Tohono O’odham Nation. We have come a long way in building a more prosperous future for our people and the West Valley, but just like this new casino, we still have much further to go. The Nation will continue to work closely with our friends and partners in the region for the benefit of all our communities.”
Alongside officials and members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, city officials from Glendale, Peoria, Buckeye, Surprise, Tolleson and El Mirage participated in the topping-off ceremony. The property for the new facility is located on 80 acres of reservation land in unincorporated Maricopa County.
Arizona sports betting handle reaches $323.2m in July
Arizona’s sports betting handle was $323.2m in July. That’s 17.8 per cent less than in June ($393.2m) but up 11.3 per cent year-on-year. Online wagers totalled $320.2m, while the remaining $2.4m was spent betting at retail sportsbooks.
Sports bettors won $287.9m. Adjusted gross event wagering revenue was $34.6m, up 38.4 per cent compared to July 2022 and 24.9 per cent from June 2023. Revenue from online sports betting was $34.3m, while retail’s share was $151,222.
