The Pascua Yaqui Tribe has received permission to build a new casino in Tucson, Ariz., at the intersection of Grant Road and Interstate 10 after buying Federal Trust land near Old Pascua.
The tribe operates Casino Del Sol and Casino of the Sun. The third property is expected to create between 500 and 600 jobs and will offer gaming machines, table games, sports betting, multiple food and beverage options and on-site parking.
Tribal officials have yet to announce a timeline for the project, which will be the first Pascua Yaqui casino within Tucson city limits, adding to the tribe’s growing presence in Arizona’s gaming industry.
“Pascua Yaqui Tribal members have lived and worked in this area for hundreds of years, and we continue to live, worship and raise our families here today. Cultural ceremonies are observed in Old Pascua, and it’s a vibrant community,” Peter Yucupicio, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, told KVOA. “To have the opportunity to be able to expand and provide additional jobs and revitalization to the area is amazing. We have been planning for the possibility of this project for some time, and it’s just incredible that now it can become a reality.”
Kimberly Van Amburg, CEO of Casino Del Sol, said, “we are so excited to move forward with the casino project near Old Pascua at Grant Road and I10 and bring the quality service, gaming and dining we’re known for to central Tucson. We are not just excited about the project but also about what it means for this part of town. It will be the first step towards rejuvenating and beautifying this important area of Tucson. We are also thrilled about all the new jobs the new casino will provide; many people will be able to walk to work, which is a plus.”
The land purchase was approved thanks to the Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act, which placed about 30 acres of land into trust for the tribe. This land includes culturally significant sites south of West Grant Road and east of Interstate 10. The tribe’s connection to the land dates back to 1921, with the site being used for sacred and ceremonial purposes.
“(Former) Gov. (Doug) Ducey initiated these compact negotiations in 2016, and it took us until 2021 as a group of tribes, the governor and Arizona legislative body to work out this compact,” Alfred Urbina, the tribe’s attorney general, told Tucson Weekly, “It’s almost like a restoration or a renaissance now that we have an opportunity to go back and protect some of our churches and communities and provide either jobs (or) housing.”
