Tohono O’odham Nation officials have announced that the new Diamond Desert West Valley Resort will be opening its doors on the 20th of December. The new hotel and casino property has already seen the first gaming machines being installed on the casino gaming floor.

The casino located in Glendale will be launching in just a few weeks despite the regulatory issues the tribe has faced during the construction phase. Officials in Arizona have argued that the Tohono O’odham Nation is in violation of an agreement with the state dating back to 2002. According to the government the land in Glendale owned by the tribe is not to be used for gambling services.

The Arizona Department of Gaming Enforcement has also refused to grant the tribe the permissions needed to offer Class III gaming. Unless the tribe prevails in federal court a license will not be approved for the property and without this license, the casino will not be able to offer table gaming or Las Vegas style slot machines and true-odds video poker.

Tribal officials have pointed out repeatedly that the gambling venue will be launched as scheduled, despite the setbacks. The property will offer bingo gaming machines that fall into the Class II gaming category. This will be a gaming option similar to slot machines. Tribes do not have to have state approval to operate as a Class II facility on sovereign lands.

The Project Development Director of the casino, Randy Howe, along with additional tribal and casino gaming officials told local media outlets that they are determined to hit the December 20th opening date. With the opening, the tribe will be in the Phase One portion of their casino resort. This will include just over 1,000 gaming machines, a bar and food court. The casino floor will consist of 40,000 square feet of space.

The entire resort is scheduled to be completed by late 2017 or early 2018. This would include a total space of 130,000 square feet of land in which as much as 85,000 square feet is provided for casino gaming. A hotel, conference center, spa, entertainment and dining options would also be included.