The U.S. House blocked on Monday the quick passage of a proposed legislation aimed at preventing the Tohono O’odham Nation from launching a Las Vegas-style casino near Glendale, Arizona.
House Resolution 308 needed positive votes from two-thirds of all House members in order to be advanced on the so-called suspension calendar. However, there were 263 positive votes against 146 negative ones and 25 abstentions.
The bill’s sponsor – Rep. Trent Franks, who represents the region where the gambling venue is to be located, said that he is not certain about the future of his proposal. The official also noted that he is disappointed with the decision of some of his fellow House members to support the Tohono O’odham tribe in opening its casino, thus disregarding its original promise to other Arizona tribes and state residents.
If approved, the legislation would have prevented the construction and launch of new casinos in Phoenix and the surrounding area until the expiration of the current gambling agreement between tribes and voters in 2027.
Rep. Franks said before the vote that the Tohono O’odham had deceptively purchased a portion of land in order to build its casino on it, despite promising that it would not use the parcel for the provision of gambling services. The official added that the tribe had acted contrary to what it had initially promised during negotiations of the above-mentioned gaming agreement.
In 2003, the Tohono O’odham was allowed to buy land near Glendale, after more than 10,000 acres of reservation land were flooded due to a failed state-funded dam project. Here it is important to note that the tribe purchased the Glendale parcel under a fictitious name and confirmed its ownership in 2009. The land was then formally recognized as part of the tribe’s reservation lands and it was announced that it would have a Las Vegas-style casino built on it.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) was among the House members who asked for a roll-call vote yesterday, rather than a quick voice vote, with the latter usually being preferred for less controversial proposals. Unlike some of his colleagues, Rep. Grijalva believes that the tribe had acquired the Glendale land legally.
The official noted that if the Congress was allowed to prevent a given tribal project on a parcel of land that had been purchased absolutely legally, this would have given HR 308 the authority to meddle in the economic development of tribes across the country.
The Tohono O’odham is planning to open its venue on December 20, despite all the legal and regulatory hurdles it is currently facing. However, the casino will not be a full-scale one and will feature 1,089 bingo gaming machines. Essentially, those are very similar to the traditional slot machines, but are considered Class II gaming options.
The tribe will not be able to provide Class III gaming services, including slot machines and table games, until it is granted the necessary license by the Arizona Department of Gaming. However, the state Gaming Director, Daniel Bergin, together with Attorney General Mark Brnovich said that the state is not likely to allow the Tohono O’odham to operate a fully-fledged casino, alleging that the tribe committed fraud when negotiating its gaming compact with the state back in 2002.
The facility that will be launched on December 20 will only be an interim one. It will spread over 60,000 square feet of land and will feature the 1,089 gaming machines, a bar, two restaurants, and a parking lot. Phase Two of the project is expected to be completed in 2018 and a full-scale casino, office space, and two parking garages are to be added. Phase Three is slated to be opened in 2019 and will include a 400-room hotel.
