The Pascua Yaqui Tribe, a federally recognized Yaqui Tribe based in Arizona, has publicly announced its intention to build a new casino in Tucson, a city in Arizona, closer to the city center than any other local gaming facilities.

New agreement:

Under the terms of a new gaming agreement between the State of Arizona and its 22 tribes, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe is authorized to have one more casino in addition to the two now under its jurisdiction, hence there are plans for a new Tucson casino.

The first casino near the city center:

A Bill from Congress gave Pascua Yaqui permission to use an old movie theater building that had been closed for years and land near the building, located on Grant near I-10.

The Tribe can start building the new casino now that it legally owns the land.

Furthermore, the Grant near I-10 location, is the closest to downtown Tucson, making the potential new casino the closest casino to the city center, ultimately making it easier for the casino to be noticed by players across the city.

However, a detailed plan of the expected number of customers or new jobs has not yet been prepared.

Increasing the business of nearby shops:

Blessed Grounds Coffee Shops, located at Grant and Fairview near the casino site, is projected to boom once the potential casino opens.

In this regard, Amy Prillaman, manager at Blessed Grounds Coffee Shops, said: “We are a major family here and we just love on the community in general. And so I think any opportunity that we get to expand our customer base is another opportunity to one, impact the life to impact the community of Tucson but also to positively impact that casino as well. So I see it as a partnership in the making and maybe something beautiful to happen soon.”

Michael Guymon, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tucson Metro Chamber, added: “A big chunk of dormant land can drag down an area but it’s a powerful stimulant for the whole area when a big new business comes in.

“You bring back activity to a big property like that, and like you just talked about, there are employees but there’s also a lot of individuals driving into that area that had historically not driven into that area. Well, I think some property owners and some businesses are going to recognize that and they’re going to then invest and put new businesses in that area.”