A new casino is being planned for the Prescott area. Officials with the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe said they need the planned property to stay competitive.
The tribe said the community has wanted a modern hotel destination for years to replace the outdated Bucky’s Casino and Yavapai Casino. The new hotel will include a 50,000 square foot casino floor.
With other tribes around the state building “resort-style” properties, Tribal Manager Rick Marcum said the time to build is now, citing a study from Yavapai College. It said a new casino would be an economic boon for the growing Prescott Valley when open in 2016.
“For this project, it works out to about approximately $80 million will be the impact over the next 18 months to 24 months of the project to the region,” Marcum said.
The tribe can only run two casinos on its land according to a compact with the state. The Arizona Department of Gaming allots the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe to operate 566 slot machines and 90 card tables. Marcum said once the new hotel is open, the two older casinos will close.