Phoenix area’s 1st tribal casino sportsbook opens this weekend
The first sportsbook inside a tribal casino in the Phoenix area is scheduled to host a grand opening on Friday at Vee Quiva, one of the Gila River Indian Community casinos.
The grand opening of the BetMGM sportsbook at the West Valley casino is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Later that day, from 5-7 p.m., the casino plans guest appearances from NASCAR drivers Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick.
BetMGM is the sports-betting division for MGM Resorts International and is a partnership with Entain Holdings.
Arizona lawmakers approved sports and fantasy gambling earlier this year, with the first sportsbooks opening in September. The new law allows for mobile sports betting, with several online gambling sites now operational.
A few sports venues have opened sportsbooks or at least kiosks where gamblers can place bets in person, but the BetMGM venue at Vee Quiva is the first in Phoenix inside an operating casino where gamblers have other gambling options.
The casino is at 15091 S. Komatke Lane in Laveen Village, near 51st Avenue and the Loop 202.
Gila River Casinos also operate the Wild Horse Pass and Lone Butte Casinos near Chandler, with a fourth casino under construction.
Wild Horse Pass and Lone Butte are scheduled to open full-fledged sportsbooks Nov. 11 to coincide with Thursday night football.
The Gila River casinos have been offering sports-betting kiosks as they built the sportsbooks.
Unlike sportsbooks operated by professional sports teams at or near their stadiums, the casino’s book will have bartop slots.
“We really look to include the entire experience,” said Dominic Orozco, Gila River Hotels and Casinos’ chief strategic marketing officer. “You can sit in there on game day and place your bets, then go play slots after.”
The sportsbook at Vee Quiva will have seating for about 150 customers and 20 betting kiosks as well as live ticket writers and a patio, he said.
“(The space) used to have a panoramic door opening to the outside,” Orozco said. “We wanted to keep that. We made fold-up garage doors that can be open during good weather.”
During certain sporting events the sportsbook will have a DJ who will make announcements of special promotions during commercial breaks, and the space is equipped with LED lighting that can, for example, be set to Cardinal Red during the team’s games, he said.
At the Wild Horse Pass opening on Nov. 11, the sportsbook will host former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer, Orozco said.
The Lone Butte sportsbook will include two blackjack tables, Orozco said. On Nov. 13, that sportsbook will host UFC fighters as part of its grand opening celebration.
BetMGM also will operate a sportsbook at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where the Arizona Cardinals play, in a three-way partnership with the tribe. That sportsbook is scheduled to open next year.
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino near Payson opened a sportsbook with TwinSpires in September.