Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am opens Sunday in Tucson

The casino at 1055 W. Grant Road, near Interstate 10, is the third casino operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

Casino Del Sol, Vahi Taa’am, features a 52,525-square-foot gaming floor with 928 slot machines, 24 game tables, a sportsbook, two restaurants and five bars.

Vahi Taa’am means “three sons” in Yoeme, the language of the Pascua Yaqui people.

The casino will open to the public Sunday afternoon, following speakers and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the morning.

A fireworks show is planned for 8 p.m.

How it came about

The casino’s development began fifteen years ago when the tribe bought the shuttered Century Park 16 without citing specific plans.

In 2019, the tribe began the process of placing the land into trust by the United States, required for a casino to operate there.

The city of Tucson approved an intergovernmental agreement to define the relationship with the city and the tribe if the land became part of the Yaqui Reservation.

In 2022, late Congressman Raúl Grijalva introduced a bill to place the parcel into trust, and it was signed later that year by President Joe Biden.

The designation made it sovereign land that allowed for the development of a casino.

In 2023, demolition of the former movie theater began, and the three-year construction began.

Visit casinodelsol.com for the latest updates.

What’s ahead?

The casino is the first project at the site, with officials studying the possibility of a convention center and resort hotel in the future.

Interior murals include a centerpiece titled Aniam Yo’orine (Respect the World) by Marcelino C. Flores III, a painter and lifelong member of the Old Pascua community.

A blue sky with clouds spans the 24,000-square-foot domed ceiling by local muralist Joe Pagac.

The casino expects to create up to 500 new jobs in gaming operations, food and beverage, hospitality, security and administration.

The tribe is working with businesses along Grant Road, east of I-10, to vacate the properties for the next phases of development.