Southern Arizona tribe sues state to be able to open casino

PHOENIX (AP) – Gov. Doug Ducey and other top Arizona officials are facing a lawsuit from a southern Arizona tribe that wants an injunction allowing its new casino to open by the end of this year.

The lawsuit filed by the Tohono O’Odham Nation in federal court Monday asks a judge to order the state to stop trying to block the casino between Glendale and Peoria from opening.

Opponents of the casino say a 2002 gaming compact prohibits the casino from opening, while a 2013 court decision that’s currently under appeal says otherwise.

The Department of Gaming plans to notify prospective employees that they may not work for an unauthorized gaming facility.

The $200 million casino is the subject of a legal conflict that’s lasted six years.

Ducey’s spokesman had no immediate comment.