Valley tribal casinos start rolling out craps, baccarat, roulette games

PHOENIX – Casinos in and around metro Phoenix are starting to roll out Las Vegas-style gambling options now permitted under Arizona’s new tribal gaming compact.

On Friday, Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler will officially debut craps, baccarat and roulette, according to a Wednesday press release. Gila River’s other casinos, Lone Butte in Chandler and Vee Quiva in the West Valley, plan to add those games in the coming weeks.

“This is truly a historic moment in our 27-year history that will benefit both the Gila River Indian Community and the state by providing additional jobs and tourism, as well as increased opportunities to support the community,” Gila River Hotels & Casinos CEO Kenneth Manuel said in the release.

Wild Horse Pass will also launch its High Limit Salon with midi baccarat tables, and high-limit blackjack and roulette games for big-money players.

All three Gila River properties are also bringing in additional slot machines and increasing betting limits.

Craps and baccarat are already live at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa.

The new options are the result of an amended gaming compact that was finalized in April as part of Arizona’s wide-ranging gambling expansion, which included the legalization of sports betting.

The 20-year extension allows tribal casinos to add the Vegas-style games to their existing offerings of slots, blackjack and poker.

Fantasy sports operations are set to go live Aug. 28, followed by sports betting on Sept. 9, opening day of the NFL season.

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