Ruling could clear way for a Glendale-area casino
Judge: Arizona's compact governing Indian gaming doesn't ban more casinos from Phoenix area
PHOENIX (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that Arizona's compact governing Indian gaming doesn't ban more tribal casinos from opening in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Tuesday's ruling could clear the way for the Tohono O'odham Nation, which has battled since 2009 to open a massive resort and casino near Glendale.
The tribe previously purchased the site after receiving a $30 million federal settlement to replace nearly 10,000 acres of ancestral reservation land damaged by a dam.
The Tohono O'odham Nation already operates three casinos in southern Arizona.
The federal government declared the land a reservation in 2010 despite opposition from state and local officials who argued tribes shouldn't be allowed to turn random parcels of property into a reservation.
Gila River Gov. Gregory Mendoza says his tribe will consider an appeal.
