The latest casino project of the Tohono O’odham Nation is preparing for battle yet again as the project confronts yet another issue. The tribe has received indications that the state will not be approving their plans for a casino located in West Valley which has already begun the first stage of construction.

The West Valley Resort Casino is already in the works and the tribe may decide to sue the Arizona Department of Gaming if they are not given the go ahead to complete their project. On April 15th, Daniel Bergin, the state Gaming Director, received a letter from the Tribe’s attorney Seth Waxman which discussed the fact that the agency may choose to block the casino project, which has a $400 million price tag.

In the letter, Waxman stated that the refusal of the ADG to execute their responsibilities under the tribal-state compact that currently exists is against state and federal law. The tribe is now preparing use resources to attempt to compel the ADG to be compliant with the law.

The tribe believes that the state Attorney General Mark Brnovich and the Governor, Doug Ducey, have been pressuring the agency to block the approval of the casino.