Judge asked to force Arizona to license Glendale casino

PHOENIX (AP) – A judge is being asked to order Arizona officials to issue licenses that will allow a tribal casino in Glendale to open.

The lawsuit filed by the Tohono O'Odham Nation against Gov. Doug Ducey, Attorney General Mark Brnovich and state gaming Director Daniel Bergin asks for an injunction requiring the state to stop trying to block the casino.

U.S. District Judge David Campbell hears arguments Thursday morning.

Opponents of the casino say a 2002 gaming compact prohibits it from opening. A 2013 court decision that's currently under appeal says otherwise.

The tribe says Ducey and Bergin are defying federal law by refusing to license the casino. State lawyers say the tribe's case should be dismissed.

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