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AZ’s Biggest Casino Group Gets Bigger

The state and national economy might have the United States’ slot machine and gambling industry in a slump, but you couldn’t prove it by the Gila River casino group. The Indian Community is the largest gambling group in Arizona, with plans to grow even bigger. The community’s president and chief executive officer of casino operations spoke optimistically about the plans for what will be called the Lone Butte casino. Harold Baugus spoke recently to press about plans for the new slot machine and gambling establishment.

Lone Butte is a sixty million dollar project. The one hundred twenty square foot casino is due to open within Gila River territory in the area outside the towns of Chandler and Phoenix on Kyrene Road, off Loop 202. The crown jewel of the resort will obviously be its casino, but Baugus said that he hopes Arizonans will flock to Lone Butte for dining and entertainment, as well. A smoke-removal system will take advantage of state-of-the-art technology to ensure that all visitors are comfortable. The site will feature five restaurants and several live entertainment venues. The representative said that Lone Butte has been in development for over four years.

Baugus said that the Gila River group is determined not to let the current state of the economy wreak havoc on the tribe’s long-term plans and goals for the new casino. The newest addition to the tribe’s gambling mini-empire will bring them up to a total of three casinos (Vee Quiva and Wild Horse Pass are the other two) with almost twenty-two hundred slot machines between them.

Back to September 2008 Archive.