Members of the Pascua Yaqui tribal council break ground on their third casino alongside other local leaders on Monday, January 13, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe broke ground on its third casino Monday morning.
The new development, located in Old Pascua, will include a casino, restaurants, a parking structure, and space for future expansion.
Tribal Vice Chairman Peter Yucupicio said their efforts would not have been possible if it weren’t for their elders who reminded them where home was.
“This is our home. It's always been our home,” Yucupicio said. “It all started actually here next to the Santa Cruz river basin that always gave life to Southern Arizona.”
The Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act allowed for land near Grant Road and I-10 in Tucson to become a part of the Pascua Yaqui Reservation, making way for the casino to go forward.
“The Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act made this tribal community protected and preserved, not only for gaming, but most importantly, for our cultural ceremonial grounds just a couple blocks away,” the tribe’s attorney general OJ Flores said.
Old Pascua is home to some of the tribe’s churches, sacred sites, and ceremonial grounds. Flores recalled when the act passed in December 2022. He said at the time you could hear fireworks and even see some people crying from joy.
“As we break ground here today, we celebrate another milestone and similar excitement for opportunities to come,” Flores said.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero attended Monday’s ceremony and emphasized the need to continue supporting the Pascua Yaqui tribe in its path toward self-determination.
“What is happening here is important for the sovereignty of what the Pascua Yaqui people want to do here,” Romero said. “It is right for you to have self-determination. It is right that this land was added to the Pascua Yaqui’s reservation.”
The new 172-thousand-square-foot casino is expected to create nearly 500 new jobs. The casino floor will have gaming tables, a high-limit room, a sportsbook, and a poker room. In addition, the parking structure will be able to hold 1,200 vehicles.
“To me, I think it's historic,” Yucupicio said. “It reminds me of all the battles and all the hard work, not only us getting to this point, but our elders, all the ones that we suffered through.”
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