Casinos in Arizona

Find the best casino in Arizona, The Grand Canyon state!

Residents in Arizona have a lot of choice when it comes to casinos and racetracks. Top class casino floors with a massive choice of slot machines, table games and live entertainment can be found allover the state. Here’s an overview of the most popular casinos, and info on where to play in your area. We can also make some suggestions if you’re looking for online casino gaming. 

Affiliate Disclosure: Our content contains affiliate links that we may earn a commission from. We do not receive payment for publishing reviews and we only recommend online casinos we trust.

Chandler

Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass

Open 24 hours, Arizona’s Gila River Hotels & Casinos group hosts over 1000 slot machines at Wild Horse Pass. You’ll find an excellent range of table game options spread over 32 tables, including blackjack, Spanish 21, pai gow poker progressives, high card flush progressives and many others. You’ll also find the only 4-deck shoes in the area on the High Limit Shutters Blackjack table. Table limits range from $5 to $1,300. Loyal customers can access perks and treats by using “The Card” membership which is valid at all Gila River Hotels & Casinos venues. Visitors can also enjoy a wide range of music entertainment from famous performers and there’s a great choice of dining including comfort food and pies at FullHouse Café, to steaks at Shula’s.

Flagstaff

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort

Hosting over 1,100 slot machines you’ll be sure to find a favorite at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, Arizona. There’s also a decent range of table games including blackjack, WPT Heads up Hold em, High Card Flush, Pai Gow Poker and Free Bet Blackjack. Table games open daily at 10am.  You’ll also find bingo held Wednesday to Saturday 5pm to 7pm and 1pm-3pm on Sundays. Dining options include Zenith Steakhouse, Four Elements Cafe and Grand Falls Buffet. Special mention of Arrows Sports Bar which boasts an impressive 19 high definition TV screens for a fully immersive experience!  ATSA Players Club Card can be used to earn benefits and perks across all 4 Navajo casinos; Fire Rock, Flowing Water, Northern Edge and Twin Arrows.

Maricopa

Harrah’s Ak-Chin

Self described as a casino “where the tables are hot and the drinks are poured cold” Harrah’s Ak-Chin casino hosts 1,135 slot machine ranging from penny slots to $25 high limit machines. The gaming floor is impressive just to look at! If you’re not sure if you’ll be able to find your favorite video slot or table game you can use the slot finder and table game finder tools. As one of many Caesar’s resorts, you can enjoy the Caesar’s Reward card benefits across multiple national venues including Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, Bally’s, Harrah’s and many more. The bar and lounge hosts a mix of local and national headliners, comedy and music. There are loads of great deals for hotel stays so be sure to book via the website to get the best offer!  

Scottsdale

Talking Stick

Talking Stick resort has won a huge range of awards, including a readers choice awards from USA Today 10Best, Travelocity Excellence Award, 2019 Best of the Valley from Phoenix magazine among many others. Looking at what’s on offer it’s easy to see why this casino is super popular in Arizona! Talking Stick Resort offers more than 50 table games and 800 slot machines from software providers including Aristocrat, Ainsworth, and Scientific Games. You’ll find massive progressive jackpots too, on Pai Gow Poker Progressive, 3 Card Poker Progressive and High Card Flush Progressive, with prize pots ranging from $140,000 to over $1 million! Regular poker tournaments are held too, including Arizona State Poker Championship that runs every August in the Arena Poker Room boasting a $1,000,000 prize pool.  There’s 6 on site dining options including a seafood bar, a spa, golf and evening entertainment. Plus the whole resort is in a breathtaking setting with magnificent sunset views. Earn rewards using the Player Rewards Club Card. You can also download their app on google play or the app store to get hold of exclusive offers.

You can also check out US casinos in your neighbouring states Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, California and Colorado.


Top 5 Online Casinos in Arizona


Gambling in Arizona

Gambling has a long history in Arizona, dating back to the territorial days when saloons and card games were commonplace. Today, the state has a thriving gambling industry that offers a range of options, including casinos, horse and dog racing, and the state lottery. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, betting on horse and dog racing was also popular, as well as cockfighting and other forms of animal-based betting. By the 1930s, however, the state began cracking down on gambling, and by the 1950s, most forms of gambling were illegal.

In the 1980s, however, the state began to relax its gambling laws, and in 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed, allowing Native American tribes to operate casinos on their lands. Today, there are over 20 casinos throughout the state, operated by various tribes. Tribal casinos in Arizona are listed below.

Current Gambling Legislation in Arizona:

In Arizona, gambling is regulated by the Arizona Department of Gaming, which oversees the state lottery, horse and dog racing, and tribal casinos. The state lottery was first introduced in 1980 and offers a range of games, including scratch-off tickets and multi-state lotteries like Powerball and Mega Millions.

Horse and dog racing are also legal in the state, with three tracks operating in Phoenix and Tucson. In 2018, a bill was signed into law allowing tracks to offer off-track betting on races from other tracks across the country.

As for casino gambling, tribes in Arizona are allowed to operate slot machines, table games, and poker, as long as they have a compact with the state. Currently, there are 24 tribes with compacts, and together, they operate more than 20 casinos throughout the state.

However, in 2021, a new law was passed that allows for sports betting to be offered at tribal casinos in the state. The law also allows for daily fantasy sports and keno games to be offered by the tribes. It’s unclear when sports betting will begin in the state, as the regulations and licensing process are still being worked out.

The Future of Casino and Online Casino Gambling:

While Arizona’s gambling industry is currently thriving, there are ongoing discussions about the future of casino and online casino gambling in the state. One of the biggest debates is whether or not to legalize online casino gambling.

Currently, online casino gambling is not legal in Arizona, and there are no bills currently being considered that would change that. However, given the growing popularity of online gambling in other states, it’s possible that Arizona may eventually follow suit. Another issue that has been raised is the possibility of allowing commercial casinos to operate in the state. Currently, only tribal casinos are allowed to operate in Arizona, but some lawmakers and business groups have pushed for the legalization of commercial casinos as a way to boost tourism and revenue.

However, this proposal has been met with opposition from the tribes, who argue that it would violate their compacts with the state and could lead to the loss of jobs and revenue for their communities.

Overall, the future of casino and online casino gambling in Arizona is uncertain, but it’s clear that the industry will continue to evolve and adapt to changing technologies and regulations. Whether or not the state will allow for online gambling or commercial casinos remains to be seen, but for now, the tribal casinos are a major player in the state’s gambling industry and will likely continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Arizona Casino FAQs

Is gambling legal in Arizona?

Arizona has had strict gambling laws since the 1900s, restricting game play to land based casinos on Native American territory. Since Arizona has more Native American lands than any other state (more than 20 million acres), you’ll find 34 casinos to play at! Online gambling is not legalized so you won’t find any Arizona run virtual casinos and whilst there is pressure to legalise Sports Betting like states such as New Jersey have done already, Arizona has not conceded yet.

What’s the best casino in Arizona?

There are 34 casinos in Arizona so you’re spoiled for choice! We’ve listed our top picks above, those casinos rated highest by visitors. If you are in the Phoenix area, Talking Stick Resort is well worth a visit. Plus the Gila River Hotels and Casinos group are very popular with casino players.  If you prefer to play online, there are lots of offshore gaming companies that accept players from Arizona. 

How old do you have to be to gamble in Arizona?

You must be 21 or over to gamble in casinos in Arizona. State legislature in 2000 changed the minimum legal age of gambling from 18 to 21.

Which tribal lands house casinos?

Your nearest casino in Arizona is housed on Tribal lands belonging to the Indian community resident there. 

AK-Chin Indian community – Harrah’s AK-Chin Hotel and casino 

Cocopah Tribe – Cocopah Casino Resort 

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation – We-Ko-Pa-Resort

Colorado River Indian Tribes – Blue Water Resort & Casino

Fort Mojave Indian Tribe – Spirit Mountain Casino

Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe – Paradise Casino

Gila River Indian Community – Wild Horse Pass, Lone Butte Casino, Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino

Navajo Nation – Twin Arrows, Fire Rock, Flowing Water, Northern Edge 

Pascua Yaqui Tribe – Casino of the Sun, Casino del Sol Resort 

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community – Casino Arizona, Talking Stick Resort 

San Carlos Apache Tribe – Apache Gold Casino Resort

Tohono O’odham Nation – Desert Diamond casinos in Tucson, Sahuarita and Why

Tonto Apache Tribe – Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

White Mountain Apache Tribe – Hon-Dah Resort Casino

Yavapai-Apache Nation – Cliff Castle Casino Hotel

Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe – Yavapai Casino, Buck’s Casino

Other pages you might be interested in