The beautiful new Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino near Phoenix is a perfect spot for a holiday getaway.

“A Star Spangled Shoot Out!” is this year’s theme for the popular Fourth of July celebration hosted by Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse near Wild Horse Pass Casino and Resort in Chandler.  An evening of fun activities and performances, live music and steakhouse dining will culminate in a big holiday fireworks show.  Events begin at 5:30 p.m. with admission of $10 per person (ages 6 & up.)  Kids 5 years old and under are free.  Admission cost includes Rawhide attractions, entertainment and fireworks display.

After the show, head over to Wild Horse Pass Casino and enjoy your favorite slot and table games.  Make a night out of it — and miss all those crowds on the I-10 Freeway! — by staying overnight at either Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino or the nearby Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa.  Rates from hotels.com at press time were just $112 for the casino resort and $125 per night for the Sheraton.  Both are beautiful properties with plenty of dining options and resort amenities.  So stay, play and catch some fabulous Fourth of July fun!

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Beat the Field is just one of the many fun new slot machines at Casino Arizona's recently-opened Talking Stick resort.

Casino Arizona’s posh new Talking Stick gaming and resort property is shaping up to be Scottsdale’s newest go-to gambling destination.  The 240,000 square foot gaming area plus the resort’s many restaurants and the live entertainment showroom are now open at the Loop 101 and Indian Bend location.  The hotel portion of Talking Stick  has struggled to open and is — at this writing — still awaiting final occupancy approvals.  A recent visit to the new casino near Phoenix showed continuing construction on the hotel with the outdoor pool and spa area looking far from completion.  We found out by phone that casino staffers are taking reservations for hotel rooms beginning July 1 and gave a mid-August date for the pools to be open to guests.

We’ve made several visits to this newest Arizona casino and found both pluses and minuses to the property.  Here are some of our observations beginning with the most important part of any casino — the gaming!

Gaming at Talking Stick

Machine Selection — There is a huge variety of both flashy new games — think Sex and the City with Mr. Big as your host — and old customer favorites on the Talking Stick floor.  Some of the hottest slot machines on the market can be found here.  You can play a game new to Arizona, Monopoly™ Planet Go™, where the beloved Mr. Moneybags encounters aliens and other space-themed icons.  There is also the community-based horse racing slot game, “Beat the Field,” which I recently saw hit for a $1,136.19 progressive.  Not bad for a 2¢ game!

Other new slot machines include a  “Life of Luxury” progressive plus slot game “Great Wall” which offers players a progressive that pays in free games. Talking Stick visitors will also find machines based on popular TV shows such as “Happy Days,” “Stargate SG-1” and the aforementioned “Sex and the City” with its four-game screen filled with colorful icons depicting stiletto heels, posh cocktails and of course, the gorgeous stars of the hit show.  Be sure to check out all the floor-wide progressive games, too.  A busy High Limit room rounds out the gaming area.

Poker – The new Poker room maintains its status as the largest in Arizona.  The state-of-the-art room features fifty tables to accommodate players of Texas Hold ‘Em, Seven Card Stud and Omaha Hi-Lo as well as a full schedule of poker tournaments and events.

Table Games — More than 50 tables of Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let Ride and Lucky Ladies are dealt around the clock. Casino War is also available at Talking Stick.

Video Poker — They’ve taken out our (and many other players!) favorite games:  nickel Spin Poker Deluxe and Fifty Play poker.  (You’ll find lots of the Spin Poker “regulars” now playing at Casino Arizona at Salt River.) They’ve added All-Star Poker with its menu of games such as Chase the Royal and Super Times Pay.  All Star machines include a Spin Poker game but the denomination here starts at 10¢ and playable lines are maxed out at nine.  Pay tables on all the games we saw left a lot to be desired as well.  Also, it was disappointing to see that free play bucks — or as the casino calls it “Power Percs” credits — are not accepted on All Star machines.

Keno — There is a small Keno lounge conveniently located near casual restaurant, the Black Fig, and a circular sports-themed bar.

More to come on the new Casino Arizona at Talking Stick including a review of our yummy lunch from the Black Fig. Have you been to the new casino and if so, what is your take on it?

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Casino Arizona's luxurious new Talking Stick Resort (shown under construction) will open April 15th for Phoenix area gamers and visitors.

A “soft opening” is planned for April 15 for the newest addition to the Phoenix and Scottsdale gaming scene — Casino Arizona’s luxurious new Talking Stick Resort.  Located just off the 101 freeway at the Indian Bend Road exit, the new casino features 240,000 square feet of gaming space and will be home to more than 800 slot machines.  Also on-board:  a non-smoking card room offering such games as Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and 7-Card Stud plus more than 50 table games including Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Let It Ride. A Keno lounge along with a high-stakes area will complete the gaming floor.

A major part of the new property is the soaring 497-room resort which also opens April 15th.  Spacious suites and lavish high-tech guest rooms await visitors to the hotel which sits adjacent to the world-class golf facilities already in place at the Talking Stick Golf Club.  Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, the two distinctively different courses have received numerous awards and are gaining great admiration from the golf community.  A spa, numerous dining outlets and entertainment lounges plus meeting space, a ballroom, retail areas and relaxing pool area are also part of this newest Phoenix-area casino resort.

We’ll be posting more info after we tour the property on Thursday.  Note: Not all facilities will be opening on “Tax Day.”  Planned features and amenities will continue to be completed with a “grand opening” for the property slated for sometime in June.

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A glimpse of the gaming floor at the new Wild Horse Pass Casino in Arizona.

More than 1,000 slot and video poker machines, 46 table games and 25 poker tables will greet guests as the Gila River Indian Community unveils its striking new Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino to the public on Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m. Called an “overall entertainment package” by CEO Harold Baugus, the new casino resort offers much more than just gaming with its wide assortment of dining venues, five bars and lounges, a Vegas-style nightclub (opening in November) plus the new Ovations LIVE! 1400-seat entertainment venue.

Amid the bustle of last-minute construction touches, casino staffers and management were on hand this week to give members of the media a first-hand look at the stunning new property. Punctuated by soaring ceilings in the main gaming area, the casino design features the use of gorgeous natural materials plus striking design elements such as sparkling hand-blown glass lighting sculptures.

Players will no doubt enjoy the wide array of gaming machines including 600 of the newest slots such as the smokin’ hot “Wizard of Oz” and interactive “Star Trek” (both from WMS Gaming) plus 400 popular games brought over from the former location. Card players will be pleased as well with the new poker room’s spacious design and posh décor. High-limit gaming is available in a separate section of the casino with $5-and-up slot machines plus table games currently offering $25 – $500 limits. (Look for possible higher limits in the future.)

Shula's American Steakhouse at Wild Horse Pass features photos of the '74 Super Bowl champs.

Guests hungering for more than gaming will have their needs satisfied in style with the resort’s new restaurants including the first Arizona outlet of “Shula’s American Steak House.” With its dark wood floors and tables elegantly outfitted in white linens, this tribute to the famous coach’s ’74 Super Bowl champs features a high-end menu of corn-fed beef, seafood entrees and traditional sides such as creamed spinach and a variety of spud preparations. For a more casual meal, the downstairs “Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar & Grill” will offer the chain’s menu of oriental specialties with a contemporary bent. (We’ve been to the restaurant’s Shea Boulevard location and are big fans of the Asian Pear Martini, the Lemon Chicken and the Buddha’s Feast with Chicken!) Other dining spots include a food court with a Fatburger, a Boar’s Head Deli and more plus the casino’s own Café 24/7 with its delectable selection of baked goods.

Adjoining the casino is the resort’s 242-room hotel which features 39 suites along with a spa and pool. The hotel also offers 12,000 square-feet of meeting space.

We’ll be posting more info here in coming days so check back for updates.  Also, visit the Wild Horse Pass Casino website for opening details.

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Harrah's Ak-Chin near Phoenix will be giving away $60,000 in cash to lucky players on Memorial Day!

Harrah’s Ak-Chin in Maricopa is ushering in the summer in style with its “Memorial Day Money Madness” casino promotion.  More than $60,000 in cash is up for grabs when Total Rewards® players club members swipe their cards and play their favorite games to earn entries in this holiday giveaway event.

Players can earn entries starting at 6 a.m. May 21 all the way up to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 25th.  Entries are earned through slots, video poker and Blackjack play with one entry for every 25 Base Reward Credits tallied during the promotion days.

Drawings for cash will take place at noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Memorial Day with FIVE WINNERS during each drawing.  Four people will win $500 each while one very lucky player will win $10,000 at EACH drawing!

Also on Memorial Day, guests can enjoy a free performance by national recording artists, The Platters, at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. in the popular Oasis Lounge.

For a great pic of a recent $2,000 video poker hit at Harrah’s Ak-Chin, check out this post on our sister site, RoyallyFlushed.com!

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino and Resort is located 17 miles off the I-10 Freeway via the Queen Creek Road exit.

Great Beach Getaways! Maui from $98.00!

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The new Wild Horse Pass Casino is under construction at the I-10 freeway near Phoenix.

UPDATED POST HERE:  New Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino opens October 30, 2009.

The Gila River Indian Community, owners of the newly-opened Lone Butte Casino, will add another state-of-the-art casino to the Valley’s gaming scene when it’s new Wild Horse Pass venue opens this fall. Just off the I-10 near Chandler, the new casino will feature more than 100,000 square feet of gaming, six new dining outlets including Don Shula’s American Steakhouse plus a 10-story, 241-room resort. Plans call for an October opening of the new Phoenix area casino complex.

The new Wild Horse Pass will replace the current casino of the same name that is located farther off the I-10 freeway. The new facility increases its gaming opportunities by offering visitors 1,002 slot machines (up from 875,) 44 black jack tables and 25 poker tables. Among the many hotel amenities will be a 1,500-seat entertainment venue, conference facilities, pool, health club, retail shops, lounge, and covered-deck parking. The existing Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort will continue to operate with a focus on convention and business travelers.

Artist renderings of the new casino show a sophisticated interior design with lots of earth tones and natural materials. Check out Gila River’s website to see more photos of the new Wild Horse Pass casino.

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Spring hotel deals in Scottsdale are everywhere this year. Here’s our recommendations for places to stay and play in and around Scottsdale, Arizona:

Radisson Fort McDowell Resort-Casino

The Radisson Fort McDowell is adjacent to the Fort McDowell Casino and offers a beautiful pool area surrounded by the McDowell Mountains; the relaxing Amethyst spa; and terrific dining at the resort’s Anhala Restaurant. (Try the fish tacos with spicy watermelon salsa!) Golfers will love the We-Ko-Pa Golf Club with two courses including the highly-rated and challenging Cholla course.

Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa

This is a vacationer’s dream! The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is the cream of the crop in Arizona resort and gaming destinations. This AAA Four-Diamond resort complex offers a wealth of entertainment and leisure activities including the nearby Gila River’s Wild Horse Pass casino that guests access by boat from the hotel! Located in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler – and just eleven miles from Sky Harbor Airport – this unique property offers golfing, horse-back riding, a relaxing spa, tennis courts, stunning swimming pools and award-winning dining at “Kai,” the Phoenix-area’s only Five Diamond restaurant. Guests can also take a shuttle to the nearby Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse of Wild Horse Pass which was recently voted “by locals” as the Best Western Experience of Arizona.

The Scottsdale Resort

Though not adjacent to a casino, The Scottsdale Resort offers easy access (via Indian Bend Road) to the best poker room in the Valley plus two terrific golf courses at Casino Arizona at Talking Stick. (The casino will open its new resort in early-2010.) The Scottsdale Resort’s Spanish-style architecture, famed Palm Court restaurant (try the luxurious Sunday Brunch!) and perfect Scottsdale Road location make it a favorite of annual visitors.

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