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The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe has been working towards the establishment of a new casino in Arizona for nearly 10 years. The increasing demand for gaming and sports betting in the state could be the driving force behind this project.
The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe is reportedly reviving its plan to build a new tribal casino on a corner of its 1,413-acre reservation. The tribe initially proposed the idea in 2014, but it didn’t gain much traction at the time. The tribe has revived the proposal to better serve the “quad city” communities of Prescott, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt and Prescott Valley.
Construction was originally slated to begin in late 2014 but was delayed until the tribe signed a new gaming compact with the state in September 2021. This compact also included the Prescott casino project and the expansion of gambling in Arizona casinos.
Site preparation for the new Yavapai-Prescott casino in Prescott has already begun. Soil testing and other initial work are underway at the construction site located at the intersection of Highway 69 and Yavpe Road across the street from Frontier Village Shopping Mall.
The project aims to consolidate the tribe’s current two casinos, Bucky’s and the Yavapai Casino into the new casino. The tribe will also transfer their designated 566 gaming machines to the new casino. The strategic location of the casino, situated along Arizona State Route 69, will attract gamblers from areas as far as Flagstaff and Phoenix, both of which are within 100 miles of the planned site.
The new casino will contribute to the promising future of tribal gaming in Arizona. According to Bob Ogo, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe’s Director, the gaming industry in Arizona is evolving, and the addition of another casino will allow the tribe to prepare for the future. The tribe’s two existing casinos have served the quad-city market for over 25 years, providing jobs to over 300 local employees and supporting various non-tribal charitable and community projects in the Prescott Valley and surrounding communities.
The initial plan for the new casino includes a 50,000-square-foot facility with an 80-room hotel, conference spaces, a restaurant, and a state-of-the-art casino floor. It will feature up to 566 slot machines and 85 gaming tables. The estimated cost of this expansion plan is $80 million, but an opening date has not been announced yet.
CJ Caillou is a multimedia journalist currently residing in the Phoenix-Metro Area in Arizona. With over 10 years of experience, he has covered news and sports for online and TV broadcasts. CJ, originally from Minneapolis and an alumnus of Minnesota State University: Moorhead, has worked as a reporter and videographer, covering high school, college and professional sports. His notable coverage includes the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Vikings and North Dakota State University football.
