In addition to the natural beauty, Arizona is also a haven for those looking to gamble. Out of the 25 casinos in the state, we researched the Top 3 customer favorites based on Tripadvisor reviews to bring you an in-depth look on the best options available.
Alternatively, you can take a look at the Best Sportbooks in Arizona and place your bets online!
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, Maricopa, Arizona
Native American casino resort inspired by the colors and patterns of the nature
Operated by Caesars Entertainment and owned by the federally acknowledged Ak-Chin Indian Community, the casino is at the top spot on Tripadvisor based on traveler ranking. Located 40 miles south of Phoenix, the venue is adjacent to the Ak-Chin Circle Entertainment Center filled with a ton of fun things to do to keep the whole family busy.
Image by Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
History of the Establishment
Part of the famous casino chain of the same name, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino first opened its doors in 1994. The Harrah’s Ak-Chin Resort Hotel opened seven years later with 144 guest rooms and has since expanded gradually to 500 rooms.
Between 2016 and 2019, Harrah’s underwent a multi-million dollar renovation which included expanding their casino floor, in addition to building a 12-story tower with over 200 additional guest rooms, a new lobby, spa, multiple new restaurants, a bingo hall, parking garage, and an events center. Inspired by tribal design, the venue is decorated with shades of turquoise, red, and yellow with stone and dark wood used as building materials.
Game Selection
The 40,000-square-foot casino floor offers gamblers over 1,100 games to choose from, ranging from video slots to progressive games and from roulette to Mississippi Stud poker. The casino also has a bingo hall and keno.
Image by Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
Entertainment
If the gambling gets too intense, guests can cool down at the hotel’s outdoor pool or simply relax in the lounge chairs soaking up the sun. For those looking to relax even more, the spa provides plenty of services from different massages to skincare treatments. After a day of pampering, visitors can head to The Lounge for a fun night of live entertainment.
Furthermore, Ak-Chin Circle Entertainment Center next door has plenty of activities to choose from. With everything under the same roof, you can catch the latest movies, go bowling, try out laser tag, or enjoy “the hottest new arcade games around”. The venue’s 11,000-square-foot Elements Event Center with both indoor and outdoor space can be booked for private parties for all ages.
Image by Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
Cherry on Top
Gamblers looking to stay the night are in for a treat as the casino is actually part of a resort. Rated 4.5 out of 5 by Tripadvisor users, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort has over 500 luxurious guest rooms equipped to meet guests’ every need. Guests can also enjoy the stunning, tropical swimming pool surrounded by palm trees and brightly colored umbrellas while sipping on a refreshing cocktail at the swim-up bar to cool down on a hot summer day.
Dining Options
If you’re looking to go all out, Chop, Block & Brew serves gourmet seafood and delicious steaks cooked in the traditional wood-burning mesquite grill. Decorated with warm, earthy colors, diners can also enjoy Native American artwork and pictures along with a range of premium whiskeys and house specialty cocktails while waiting for their meals to arrive.
Image by Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
For more casual dining and especially if you have the younger ones of the family with you, Agave’s Restaurant serves traditional American breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you have a more sophisticated palate, Oak & Fork serves quality wines to go with fancier small plates such as calamari or crab avocado toast. For quick bites, guests can simply opt for Dunkin’ Donuts or a snack from Copper Cactus Grill.
Downside
Guests have complained about the general store and the food establishments closing before or at midnight.
For More Information
If you want to check out what Caesars Online Casino has to offer, head over to our casino review to get the latest information and exclusive offers. Head over to the Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino website for the latest information.
Address: 15406 N Maricopa Rd, Maricopa, AZ 85139, United States
Image by Casino Del Sol
Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona
The rejuvenating oasis at the heart of the desert
The light copper colored building stands majestic against the backdrop of the sage green flora and the rough, magnificent mountain tops. Rated 4 out of 5 by user reviews on Tripadvisor, Casino Del Sol is a jewel at the edge of the Sonoran Desert, 15 minutes from Tucson International Airport.
History of the Establishment
Owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Casino Del Sol is the second of their gambling establishments. The tribe opened its first venue, Casino of the Sun in 1994 and Casino Del Sol followed in 2001. The resort, spa, and conference center were opened a decade later. The casino resort has been awarded a AAA Four-Diamond rating five times as well as being named as a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel.
Image by Casino Del Sol
Game Selection
The buzzing casino floor filled with over 1,300 slot and video poker machines to choose from is guaranteed to provide guests with a Vegas-style gambling experience. From penny slots to more progressive slot machines, Casino Del Sol has a great selection of the classics as well as the newest games available on the market.
If slots are not right up your alley, Casino Del Sol also offers bingo and a range of table games from traditional craps and blackjack to specialty games such as Fortune Pai Gow Poker and Spanish 21. High-rollers can visit the venue’s High Limit Room featuring enhanced slots and blackjack tables with $25 to $1,200 buy-ins.
Entertainment
When in Casino Del Sol, guests should not miss visiting the AVA Amphitheater. The outdoor concert venue, which has a capacity of nearly 5,000 people, is a work of art in itself and with a history of world-class performers such as Toto, Santana, and Weird Al Yankovic, visitors are sure to have an unforgettable night.
Image by Casino Del Sol
Cherry on Top
While this might sound like an odd recommendation to some, health-conscious and those looking to relieve stress should time their visit to coincide with the Southwest monsoon season between mid-June and late September.
Residents of the area have long been aware of the euphoric phenomena of the desert smelling like rain and University of Arizona recently found that the fragrances after the storm may be beneficial to your health.
Gary Nabhan, the lead author of the study, explained: “The Sonoran Desert flora is one of the richest in the world in plants that emit fragrant volatile oils, and many of those fragrances confer stress-reducing health benefits to humans, wildlife and the plants themselves.” In other words, when the rain hits the scorched earth of the desert, the air fills with the fragrances commonly used as essential oils.
The study concluded that: “The fragrant volatile organic compounds from desert plants may in many ways contribute to improving sleep patterns, stabilizing emotional hormones, enhancing digestion, heightening mental clarity and reducing depression or anxiety. Their accumulation in the atmosphere immediately above desert vegetation is what causes the smell of rain that many people report.”
Image by Casino Del Sol
Dining Options
Whether it’s a midnight snack or a proper culinary experience you’re after, Casino Del Sol’s twelve different cafes and restaurants will certainly have something for every taste.
For a night of fine dining, head to the award-winning PY Steakhouse, a winner of Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Restaurant for five consecutive years. From wagyu top sirloin heart to Alaskan king crab legs, diners are guaranteed an extraordinary experience.
In addition to the venues serving food, there are four bars to try. Our favorite? The Zebo’z. The open-air bar, located at the heart of the piazza gaming area, has a skydome with beautiful, painted clouds arching over a 2,700-square-feet Tuscan villa.
For More Information
To see what the Grand Canyon state has to offer for online players, head over to our list of the best offers and bonuses available. You can visit the Casino Del Sol website at www.casinodelsol.com.
Address: 5655 W Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ 85757, United States
Twin Arrows Casino, Flagstaff, Arizona
With the magical volcanic mountain range of San Francisco Peaks reaching up to the western sky and the endless sandy wilderness spreading as far as the eye can see in the east, Twin Arrows Casino is a perfect spot to unwind. Located just off the legendary Route 66, visitors have rated the casino 4 out of 5, making it one of the top spots to gamble in Arizona.
History of the Establishment
Opened on Memorial Day in 2013, Twin Arrows Casino is one of four casinos owned by the Navajo Nation. Right from the beginning, the casino became a popular spot and was named “Best Casino Resort Destination” the same year it opened.
In 2018, Twin Arrows became the first venue in the state to add a security robot to its team. The Knightscope K5, an autonomous robot weighing almost 400-pounds, is designed to patrol the 300,000-square-foot establishment, collecting real-time data, detecting customers who are in restricted areas, and tracking cars across the resort. K5 can read license plates, provide thermal imaging, play pre-recorded messages and, work as a two-way intercom.
Game Selection
The massive 170,000-square-foot casino floor hosts more than 1,100 slot machines and all the fan-favorite table games. With warm, bright lights and colors against the backdrop of the dark-painted walls, the atmosphere is exquisitely beautiful.
Style
Inspired by the four natural elements, and the cultural symbols and the history of the tribe, the venue should be visited simply because of its beauty.
The lights, made of tiny pieces of shining glass, sparkle down from the ceiling like summer rain among the shades off the greens of the valley floor, the blues of the mountain ranges and the warm colors of the barren Arizona land.
Cherry on Top
Located between the city of Flagstaff and the town of Winslow, Twin Arrows Casino is actually situated in the ghost town of the same name. After the construction of Interstate 40 (I-40), traffic to the Twin Arrows Trading Post, which had a store, a gift shop, a diner, and a service station, plummeted. The trading post was finally abandoned in 1995 and the land where it stands is currently owned by the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino.
With the building still intact, the spot has become popular among graffiti artists and urban explorers, who are enticed by its eerie charm.
The quirky roadside attraction, a yellow 25-foot plywood arrow lodged into the ground, remains in place to guide motorists, although it recently lost its twin companion. The landmark can still be found on some historic Route 66 maps as well as on the covers of old travel guides.
Most famously, Twin Arrows is featured in the movie classic “Forrest Gump”, as a part of the scene in which Forrest, played by Tom Hanks, runs across the country.
Dining Options
If you’re craving a freshly-brewed cup of coffee with Navajo Blue Corn Pancakes, you can head over to one of the two cafes located in the venue. For fresh seafood or a juicy steak, guests can visit Zenith Steakhouse after which they can head over to Arrows Sports Bar to enjoy a selection of international beers.
Downside
Customers have complained that the restaurants have very limited opening hours.
For More Information
In partnership with Twin Arrows Casino, Hard Rock Sportsbook Arizona is now available to all state residents. You can visit the Twin Arrows website at www.twinarrows.com.
Address: 22181 Resort Blvd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, United States
