The first stone was laid for tribal casino in Arizona

The San Carlos Apalache Nation broke ground for a casino project near Dudleyville.

US.- The San Carlos Apalache Nation started the projected Apalache Sky casino in Arizona. The 170-acre site site will consist in its early stages of temporary structures to house about 15,000 square feet of gambling facilities, which will eventually constitute a permanent complex similar to the tribe’s existing casino, Apache Gold Casino Resort near Globe.

According to Lee Randall, chairman of Apache Gold Casino’s board of directors, there is no set date for when the entire project may be completed but he estimates 325 new full-time jobs will be generated for tribe members and residents.

Pete Rios, Pinal County Supervisor, believes the new casino could become the focal point for a region which had trouble diversifying its economy. He expressed that small communities such as Mammoth and Kearny could benefit from the casino’s job opportunities.

The casino is expected to benefit the tourism industry, said Pinal County Economic Development Manager, Tim Kanavel. He also explained that a new casino would ideally give reasons to advertise more to an outside market as the areas surrounding Dudleyville, along the San Pedro River, are scenic and lure in outdoor enthusiasts, even though there are few hotels and restaurants nearby.