GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY, AZ — The Gila River Indian Community, along with its gaming enterprise arm Gila River Hotels & Casinos, is set to begin construction on its fourth casino in the Phoenix metro.
The casino is being built south of Chandler on 160 acres of Gila River community trust land on the southeast corner of Gilbert Road and Hunt Highway.
The casino will be known as Santan Mountain and has remarkable views of the San Tan Mountains to the east of the property.
The project is expected to cost at least $150 million and could take 18 to 24 months to construct. But at a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning several Gila River leaders said they would like to hold a grand opening in 12 months.
The tribe has wanted a fourth casino for years but agreed not to open one in the early 2000s as part of gaming compact negotiations with the state. But earlier this year, the tribe, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and the state legislature agreed to a new gaming compact, which allowed both sports wagering within the state and the Gila River Indian Community to open its fourth casino.
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