Navajo Nation plans to open a casino

The Navajo Nation that extends for 27,000 square miles in Utah, Arzona and New Mexico, is set to enter the gambling business. It plans to open its first casino in Church Rock, New Mexico later this year. Church Rock is located north of Interstate 40 at the Arizona state line. Tribal officials announced that construction will begin next month. It will be a small casino with 400 slots & 7 tables. At this point, it appears the parking lot is designed to accomodate cars only. The tribe indicated that 18-wheelers would be prohibited...but has not yet indicated whether it will be RV-Friendly.

The Window Rock location is the first of six casinos being planned by the Navajo Nation -- 2 in New Mexico and 4 in Arizona. A future Navajo casino near Flagstaff, AZ is expected to include an RV Park.

The entrance of the Navajos (the largest Indian Nation in the country) into the gaming business comes after many years of resistence from some of its members. Ancient Navajo legends condemn gambling and modern Navajos have expressed fears that gambling could spread addictions throughout the community. However, current tribal leaders say the casinos are necessary to help the Navajo economy.

More news from Arizona

Despite a rocky start in the early 1990's when the state legally challenged Arizona's Tribes right to operate casinos, the two sides finally entered into Arizona's first set of Tribal-State Gaming Compacts in 1993 permitting casinos with slots. The second compact, signed in 2003 added live blackjack and poker. Today 15 Indian Tribes operate 22 Class III casinos in the state. Another 6 Tribes do not have casinos but have slot machine rights they may lease to other Tribes.Today's Arizona casinos are successful and growing. Here's some additional news from The Grand Canyon State:

In western Arizona, the Cocopah Casino recently added a hotel and conference center and four new restaurants next to the casino in Somerton County. It is an RV-Friendly casino.

Gila River Casino plans to relocate and enlarge its Lone Butte Casino and locate it to an area southwest of Hunt Highway and Gilbert Road just south of Chandler. The 120,000 square-foot facility will have gaming, five restaurants and 2,500 parking spaces. It will displace the Rock Solid concrete plant which is moving more than a mile south along I-10. The new casino is expected to be completed by late 2008.

Although the first Navajo Nation Casino will be located in New Mexico, long range plans may include another casino in northeastern Arizona. The Navajo Nation comprises the largest Indian Tribe in the country. Currently, the Navajos have a compact with Arizona.

What's new in Arizona

Desert Diamond Casino has completed an expanded casino at its Nogales location, south of Tucson near the airport, off I-19 at exit 95. The new 170,000 square foot facility includes 1,000 slots, 24 blackjack tables, 25 poker tables and a buffet restaurant. A new hotel at this location has 149 rooms/suites. Although the new casino is open, parking lots won't be fully paved until about mid-November. This is an RV-Friendly casino, but RVers are advised to call ahead (520-294-7777) to confirm parking availability.

Two other casinos owned and operated by the Tohono O'odham Nation are also RV-Friendly. The other Desert Diamond Casino is just off I-19 exit 80 on West Pima Mine Road. A smaller slots-only casino -- Ha:san Casino is a popular stop for tourists on the way to Organ Pipe National Park and Rocky Point Mexico. It has 40 slots (no gaming tables), a grill and a full service gas station. Although the casino closes at midnight on weekdays and 2am on weekends, it is RV-Friendly.