Tucson Casinos
Here’s a Tourist’s Guide to the Casinos of Tucson:
Casino Del Sol & AVA Amphitheatre
www.casinodelsol.com
5655 W. Valencia Road
Owned/Operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe
As Valencia Road, a major exit off Interstate I19 and South Tucson’s busiest main street, finally pulls away from the grinding traffic and begins it’s calming stretch onto the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation, the first thing you see – a mile straight up ahead – and appearing like a magnificent mirage in the middle of the desert – is the Casino del Sol. Surrounded on all sides by miles of glorious, untouched desert, and resembling nothing less than a southwestern Taj-Mahal, the Casino del Sol is a site to behold. Opened by the Pascua Yaqui Nation in 1994, the Casino del Sol is considered to be the largest casino in the state of Arizona. Just beyond the looming entrance-way arches and spectacular golden doors is a massive gaming floor featuring over 1000 state-of-the-art slot machines, a combined total of 50 Vegas-style, live-Dealer poker and blackjack tables, a 600-player Bingo Hall, seven distinctly individual restaurants, and three separate, full-service bars offering daily drink specials and themed lounge areas.
Located on the grounds outside, just 500 yards from the Southeast Casino entrance, is yet another spectacular structure, the Anselmo Valencia Tori (AVA), an acoustically perfect, open-air amphitheatre, with seating for 4600, including 1700 theatre seats and 2900 festival lawn seats. With three full-service, walk-up bar areas and not a bad seat in the house, this outdoor venue guarantees a great time for music lovers of all ages and tastes. The AVA concert season runs April through October and has featured a variety of performers ranging from Alan Jackson, Sheryl Crow, and James Taylor to Godsmack, Velvet Revolver and numerous other popular rock bands who continue to add the AVA as a regular tour stop.
Whether you are a visitor or a native Tucsonian, you can, in one evening, enjoy great music under a star-filled desert sky, take a short walk to the “Taj-Mahal” for either a quick bite or an elegant dinner, gamble your heart – and money – away till the wee hours, and be back to your house or hotel room within a half-hour.
Casino of the Sun
www.casinosun.com
7406 South Camino De Oeste
Owned/Operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe
The turn-off to the Casino of the Sun, indicated only by the giant, dusty billboard bearing its name and pointing you south, is just one mile east of the Casino del Sol on Valencia Road. As you drive down the unlit road that is Camino De Oeste, there is nothing but darkness until, appearing out-of-nowhere and only seconds before you drive past it, is the purple flashing neon sign to the casino entrance. Open since 1994 and the Pascua Yaqui’s first casino, “The Sun” sits Ã?¾’s of a mile down its turn-off, set back from the road and nestled among the trailer homes and small adobe houses of an old tribal neighborhood. However, the quiet surroundings and unobtrusive building should not mislead you. Upon opening the classroom style metal doors, you are greeted a by a festive, colorful casino atmosphere complete with a sound much-missed by the avid Tucson gambler – the clinking of change falling from slot machines into metal bins. The only casino that hasn’t completely switched to dispensing winnings on paper tickets, Casino of the Sun still allows you the heady feel of carrying your winnings around in souvenir plastic buckets. The 40,000 sq. ft. gaming floor features 416 slots, two restaurants, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All revenues generated by the Casino of the Sun provide funds to support Pascua Yaqui education, health care, and public safety, making this casino an important part of the unique Pascua Yaqui culture.
The Two Desert Diamond Casinos
www.desertdiamondcasino.com
Owned/Operated by the Tohono O’odham Nation
Old Nogales Highway, another turn off from Valencia Road and three miles before Casino of the Sun, leads into the Tohono O’odham Reservation. The Tohono O’odham tribe, also blending entertainment and gambling, operates two casinos – both located along Old Nogales Hwy and both named Desert Diamond Casino. Fondly known as the “Old” Diamond and the “New” Diamond by the locals, each casino is, again, just a stone’s throw from home or hotel, and offers Vegas fun without the hassle.
The “Old” Diamond, located at 7350 S. Old Nogales Hwy, will soon be home to the very “Newest” Diamond when the construction of the $80 million Hotel/Casino, mentioned at the start of this article, slowly goes up around it. Speaking from experience, the “Old” Diamond is considered to be the most comfortable stomping ground for the local gamblers. It is at this casino that Tucsonans meet up with friends, make new ones, and most often see the same familiar faces with every visit. The down-to-earth, extremely friendly Tohono O’odham staff – most of who have worked there for many years – are known to the regular patrons on a first name basis.
The Casino, which is actually two buildings connected by a long carpeted walkway, contains a 28,000 sq. ft. Bingo Hall, an old-style live poker room, two walk-up style Mexican eateries, two separate bars where you can both drink and play video poker from your bar stool, and a 24,000 sq.ft. gaming floor featuring 500 slots, and blackjack tables. Located just a mile from the Tucson International Airport, the completion of the $80 million Desert Diamond Hotel and Casino is sure to turn this hometown casino into a major tourist attraction.
The “New” Desert Diamond, located at 1100 West Pima Mine Rd., is just three miles south from the “Old” Diamond or three miles from the Valencia exit off Interstate I19. Not unlike the extravagant Casino del Sol, the “New” Diamond sits in all its glittering glory surrounded by nothing but beautiful, untouched desert. The narrow, winding drive into the parking lot from Pima Mine Rd. showcases the waving flags of Arizona, Mexico, the United States, and the Tohono O’odham Nation. Between the parking lot and the casino entrance sits an odd, dome-like, circular structure, wide open on two sides, under which you can pass through. Inside the dome, the outside noises suddenly cease and you surrounded by the serene melody of an Indian flute accompanied by a fountain of dancing water jets shooting skyward in perfect musical harmony. Little benches are available for sitting, or meditating and almost everyone passes through to make their first gamble of the day on a wish, tossing a penny into the coin-filled water.
The “New” Diamond, a 185,000 sq.ft, $52 million dollar enterprise, features 500 slots, the elegant, fine dining of the Agavi Restaurant, a retail shop, a sports bar with weekly live entertainment, and a 1200-player bingo hall that converts into a 2400 seat concert venue. Recent performers that have graced the lavish stage range from Dwight Yokem to Three Dog Night to Neil Diamond.
All in all, Tucson’s four 24/7 casinos have everything to offer the thrill-seeker in all of us – flashy slots, live dealer blackjack and festive poker games, choice dining, and lavish entertainment. Aside from the fun, however, Tucson casinos also offer the first-time visitor an added bonus – a deeper understanding of the Southwestern Indian culture that helped transform The Old Pueblo into the progressive desert down it is today.
