Gila River Hotels & Casinos continues to be one of the more well-known companies in Arizona. The fourth Gila River casino has seen a lot of anticipation from the gamblers in the Valley.
In 2021 it was announced that Santan Mountain Casino is set to open in Gila River. Plans were made public when the state’s gaming agreement with the Native American tribes of Arizona was revised and renewed in 2021. The opening of the new gaming and entertainment complex is expected to be complete in 2023. And thus far, all indications suggest that this is still the case and the deadline will be met.
What We Know About Gila River Casino Santan Mountain
The 150-million-dollar, 160-acre site is being built south of Chandler, Arizona, next to Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway. The Gila River Indian Community’s new casino near Santan Mountain began construction in October 2021, adding to the extensive roster of casinos in Arizona. It is now estimated that it should take seven to thirteen months to finish the project. This indicates that the project will be completed sometime around 2023.
Santan Mountain will include more than 850 slot machines and table games when it is finished, including mini-baccarat, craps, and roulette. A special High Limit Gaming Salon will also be available to players.
Additionally, the new establishment will provide a variety of food choices and a bustling bar in the middle of the casino’s entertainment floor. The casino is set to have 6,000 square feet of usable space.
Brand-New Casino’s Impact on the Community
The April 2021 gaming compact revisions are going to allow the new casino to host sports betting. The Gila River Indian Community will now control four casinos total.
According to Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, the installation of the fourth casino will boost community residents’ income, security, and access to vital services.
Santan Mountain, according to Governor Lewis, will not only boost its reputation in the casino and hotel industries as it continues to build an entertainment empire, but it will also provide extra money, sustainability, and essential services to the residents of the community.
The initiative, according to Governor Lewis, would also generate hundreds of new employment opportunities. He anticipates that community members will fill the majority of the openings. The Gila River has already hired 700 employees for the new casino. In the future, the casino could start building a hotel. Improvements to the local infrastructure, including roads, are also part of the project.
Tribal Gaming’s Contribution to the State
In 2021, tribal gaming gave the Arizona Benefits Fund a total of $113.6 million. The last quarter of 2021’s calendar year, which is considered to be the second quarter of the state’s fiscal year, provided the state with over $21 million in tribal gaming taxes. Tribal gaming taxes are allocated to important services including tourism, health care, education, and wildlife protection. Tribal casinos brought a lot of revenue not only to the people of Arizona but also to states like Michigan, where Gun Lake Casino recently completed its new expansion project that provided a lot of employment opportunities to the local community.
Arizona’s fantasy sports and event wagering markets have made nearly $15 million in direct contributions to the state general fund since they began their operation, showing how lucrative these new enterprises are to the state’s budget. For the right to run these new games, Arizona operators paid more than $1 million in fees on top of more than $14 million in licensing costs.
