Casino Arizona will give away more than $85,000 in promotions this July.

Cash giveaways plus food and beverage specials are all part of Casino Arizona’s “Celebration of 7’s” July players club promotion.  Players can earn electronic entries from now through July 27th by playing slots, table games or keno. For every 50 points you earn, using your Player Rewards Card, you’ll earn one entry into the drawings. You can also earn an entry for signing up for a PRC card (if you aren’t a member) or you can earn an entry by going to the Player Rewards Club desk and updating your information.

Drawings for cash prizes of $777 will be held Mondays in July at the Casino AZ Salt River location, 101 and McKellips, and Tuesdays this month at the new Talking Stick Casino and Resort at the 101 and Indian Bend.  There will be 14 winners each day with drawing times as follows:  Mornings — 7, 7:30, 8, 8:30, 9, 9:30 and 10 a.m.  Evenings — Every half hour from 7 p.m. until the last drawing at 10 p.m.  That’s more than $10,000 up for grabs at each location per week!

Food and drink specials are also part of the promo with $7.77 breakfasts and dinners on Mondays at the McKellips Road Casino Arizona and $7.77 breakfast specials at The Wandering Horse buffet and Blue Coyote Cafe at the new casino at Talking Stick.

Also, players will earn 7X points on their players club cards every Wednesday this month.  This popular promotion — point multiplier days at Casino Arizona – rewards players for slots, cards and Keno play.

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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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Pick up your new players club card this month at Casino Arizona.

The new Players Rewards Club is up and running at Casino Arizona.  The new club replaces the CASHBACK Players Club complete with new club cards in Classic, Silver, Gold and, for the top level, Platinum club cards.  (I kind of liked the Arizona-themed Opal, Turquoise and Coral levels of the old club.)

To inaugurate the new club, the casino is holding a series of weekly drawings throughout September when lucky winners will receive $5o in “Power PERCS,” Casino Arizona’s new downloadable cash program.  Using a PIN plus their Player Rewards Club card, Power PERCS allows players to put promo or cashback dollars right into their favorite machines.

The drawings will be held at 9 AM, 3 PM and 9 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays at the McKellips casino and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Indian Bend casino location.  Ten winners will be announced during each drawing time for a total of THIRTY winners each day.  Players earn entries into the drawings by playing their favorite slot and keno machines (200 points equals 10 entries) plus they can earn an additional 10 entries by stopping by the new club desk and updating or confirming their personal information.

Also, just in time for football season, this month’s players club giveaway is a Casino Arizona fold-up stadium blanket.

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Six chances to win the $250,000 will be awarded during special drawings held throughout the month with the event culminating in an actual game show hosted by long-time TV host and personality, Bob Eubanks. Eubanks, most known for hosting “The Newlywed Game,” will be on hand to give away cash and prizes during the event’s double-header finale at Casino Arizona’s Showroom at the McKellips Road and Loop 101 location.

All the details can be found at the casino’s website, Casino Arizona.com, or by visiting the players club desk at either casino location.

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Come for the poker, stay for the resort fun! Combine your tournament with a few days R & R at a Scottsdale resort like the amenity-filled Westin Kierland Resort & Spa.

If you’ve been thinking about throwing your cards into the ring for the 5th Annual Arizona State Poker Championship now is the time to sign up! Poker players can begin registering for the popular event on May 1st starting at noon. ($1000.00 Buy-in + $50.00 Fee.) This year’s championship takes place August 15th to the 17th at the state’s largest poker room: Casino Arizona at Indian Bend and the Loop 101 in Scottsdale. The prize pool is estimated at $750,000 based on 700 entries. Lucky poker players can also win an entry by participating in Casino Arizona’s Single Table Shootouts or Sunday tournaments.

The Arizona Ladies State Poker Championship will also begin taking entries at noon on May 1 — $275 Buy-in + $25.00 Fee. The women will vie for the title and prizes on September 12th starting at noon also at Casino AZ at Indian Bend. Winners in this fourth annual tournament will take home a share of an estimated $123,750 in prize money (based on 450 entrants.)
The gals also have a chance to win an entry into the game by playing in the casino’s Single Table Shootouts.

See the Poker Room at Casino Arizona for details or visit their website here: Casino Arizona. Players can sign up at the Casino Arizona box office or by calling 480-850-7734.

Make it a mini-vacation by checking out the digs available in Scottsdale — all at deeply-discounted summer rates.  We recommend the Hilton Scottsdale Resort with its great Fleming’s Steak and Wine Bar restaurant, The Scottsdale Resort, and  The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa with it’s amazing swimming pool complex (including a Lazy River!) plus several fantastic restaurants including the award-winning Latin-themed Deseo.

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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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A colorful canopy welcomes guests to Gila River's Lone Butte Casino at Loop 202 and Kyrene Road in Chandler. Lone Butte is the Phoenix-area's newest casino.

Visitors to the Phoenix metro area — including Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale and other suburbs — will find a wide array of gaming opportunties awaits them in the Sonoran Desert.  Our top resorts and hotels are just minutes from some of the most exciting and friendly casinos in the Southwest.  Here’s a quick guide on where to play when visiting Phoenix, Arizona.

Casino Arizona:  Two locations, both of which are just off the Loop 101 freeway making them very accessible to all the major hotels and resorts.  Free limo service available by calling 480-850-7790.

Casino Arizona at Talking Stick:  Loop 101 freeway at the Indian Bend Road exit.  This is the casino most convenient to our north Phoenix/Scottsdale mega-resorts like the Fairmont Scottsdale, J.W. Marriott at Desert Ridge, Westin Kierland Resort or any of the hotels on Scottsdale Road north of Lincoln Drive.

• – This is the place for poker players.  Large gaming room with 50+ tables, big screen TVs, table-side food service.  Lots of Scottsdale locals play here.
• – High-limit room for slots and table games.
• – Try the Blue Coyote Grill for their spicy stir-frys.
• – Good selection of slots plus lots of video poker and vp variations including a 25¢ progressive.
• – Blazing 7’s machines near the 50-play video poker machines seem to pay well.
• – Golf:  Talking Stick Golf Course

Casino Arizona at McKellips:  Loop 101 freeway at the McKellips Road exit.  Convenient to Tempe, the Loop 202 plus central and Old Town Scottsdale.

• – More than 1,000 slot and video poker machines including lots of new games.
• – Fun Vegas-style variety show —  ”Showstoppers Live” — is a musical tribute show with Elvis, Madonna and other impersonators.
• – High-end steakhouse “Cholla” offers pricy but excellent food, a great wine list and is open until midnight on weekends.
• – The Piano Bar is a classy spot for a glass of wine and some good laid-back music.

Gila River Lone Butte Casino:  Loop 202 at the Kyrene Road exit.  Close to Chandler and the I-10 freeway.  Good location if you are staying along the I-10 freeway.

• – Arizona’s newest casino (opened November 20) offers 850 slot machines, live blackjack, casino bingo, and poker.  Games include Fortune Pai Gow Poker^® Progressive, Let It Ride Three-Card Bonus^® and Three-Card Poker^® plus slots like the hot new eBay™ and Star Trek™ machines.
• – The gourmet Verona Chophouse restaurant menu spotlights aged beef while the adjacent cozy wine bar has a good list of bottles to chose from.
• – Cascades Lounge is hopping with live entertainment nightly.
• – High-limit room with slots and tables.

Gila River Wild Horse Pass Casino:  I-10 freeway at Wild Horse Pass Boulevard exit and just a couple of miles from the Lone Butte casino.

• – Home to 875 slot machines, live poker, blackjack, keno and a 1500 seat high-stakes bingo room.
• – Next door to the very popular Arizona attraction, Rawhide Western Town, with its famous steakhouse and Wild West shows.
• – Park at the nearby Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort where you can dine at a number of restaurants including “Kai” — one of only two Five Diamond restaurants in all of Arizona – then take a flat-bottom boat ride to the casino.  (This is one of our favorite evenings out!)
• –Golf:  Whirlwind Golf Club with two courses.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino:  It’s a drive out to the town of Maricopa (about 40 minutes from Sky Harbor airport, exit Queen Creek Road off the I-10 freeway) but may be worth it if you are a Harrah’s Total Rewards Club® member wanting to get credit for your play.

• – New slot games like the popular Wizard of Oz™ plus lots of Super Times Pay™ video poker machines bring Phoenix players out to play.
• – The Range Steakhouse – a Harrah’s favorite – offers prime rib, lamb chops plus good seafood options like the sea scallops in chive butter.
• – Live poker, keno, blackjack and bingo as well as slots.
• – On the way, stop at Arena Sports Bar in Maricopa for some of the best Buffalo wings in Arizona.

Fort McDowell Casino:  Located about 20 minutes from Scottsdale near the town of Fountain Hills, this casino is most convenient for those staying in north Phoenix or Scottsdale.  The trip is worth it simply for the spectacular scenery you’ll see driving out on Shea Boulevard to the Beeline Highway and the casino.

• – New slots like Star Trek™ and Wizard of Oz™ plus lots of video poker machines including a $.25 progressive.  Largest “smoke-free” gaming area in town.
• – Lots of dining options including the sophisticated Anhala Restaurant at the adjacent Radisson Fort McDowell resort.  (The fish tacos with watermelon salsa are outstanding.)
• – Live entertainment in the Lucky Sevens Lounge.
• – Golf:  Wee-Ko-Pa Golf Course.

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