Lone Butte Casino Phoenix Arizona

©2020 Gila River Hotels & Casinos Owned and operated by the Gila River Indian Community. If you are 21 or older, we invite you to explore our website. Get directions from and directions to Lone Butte Casino easily from the Moovit App or Website. We make riding to Lone Butte Casino easy, which is why over 865 million users, including users in Phoenix, trust Moovit as the best app for public transit.

Chandler AZ 85226. 169 Reviews (800) 946-4452 Website. Menu & Reservations. My husband was there (Lone Butte) last night, a man bumped into him hard from behind. These establishments include the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, the Vee Quiva Casino, and the Lone Butte Casino. Adding to the choices are a few other non-Gila River casinos that can also satisfy the need for some gaming fun, and they include the Casino Arizona at the ritzy Talking Stick Resort in nearby Scottsdale.

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** Gasoline comps can be used only at the Wild Horse Pass Chevron, Komatke Chevron, Casa Blanca Chevron and Toka Sticks Chevron locations. See Players Club for details.

©2019 Gila River Casinos Owned and operated by the Gila River Indian Community. If you are 21 or older, we invite you to explore our website. Please Play Responsibly. If you have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-639-8783.

See Players Club for details. Players must maintain a level of play consistent with their current tier to keep their status. Management reserves the right to change a player’s status at any time. Players Club cards and benefits are nontransferable and privileges can be revoked or changed at any time. Bonus points or point promotions do not count towards tier qualification. The point qualification is a guideline and may be altered based on management’s discretion. Cash Back, Free Bonus Play, Promo Chips and Bingo Discounts must be redeemed at a $5 minimum. Must be 21 years of age or older to join THE Card® by Gila River Casinos.

As of 2 a.m. Thursday, Gila River Hotels & Casinos shuttered all three of its properties for two weeks amid a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Arizona.

Leaders at Gila River Hotels & Casinos declined The Arizona Republic's repeated requests to confirm the number of employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, saying that they will not disclose the information to 'protect the privacy' of their workers.

The Gila River Indian Community operates Lone Butte and Wild Horse Pass casinos near Chandler and Vee Quiva casino near Laveen.

The announcement comes a week after a security guard at Lone Butte Casino died of complications related to COVID-19, according to his family.

This is the second closure for the casinos. Like other tribal casinos across Arizona, Gila River's three casinos shut down because of COVID-19 in mid-March. The Gila River casinos initially reopened May 15, the same day Gov. Doug Ducey lifted Arizona’s stay-at-home order.

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Casino and tribal leaders had promised to institute new safety measures when they reopened in May, including encouraging patrons to wear masks.

During the two week closure, casino officials will 'reassess its current safety standards' after evaluating its safety plan with the Gila River Indian Community Council and receiving 'feedback from its community and team members.'

An employee death

On June 11, Robert Washington, a 68-year old security guard at Lone Butte Casino, died in a hospital from complications related to COVID-19, according to his family.

Washington, who lived in Chandler, had returned to work in mid-May. His daughter, Lina Washington of Sacramento, said he was immediately concerned about safety measures at the casino.

“The day after reopening, he was like, ‘Lina, it was awful, it was horrible. The line was around the corner. ... Eighty percent of the people weren’t wearing masks,’” Lina Washington said.

Unlike some other casinos in the Phoenix area, Gila River Hotels & Casinos were only requiring employees to wear personal protective equipment. Customers were encouraged, but not mandated, to wear masks. Lina Washington said this left her father, who was diabetic and had recently beaten prostate cancer, exposed.

Gila River officials told The Republic that it strengthened its policy last week to mandate all patrons wear masks.

Protecting public health

In a statement, Gov. Stephen Lewis said the temporary shutdown will help protect casino employees and customers, as well as those who live in the Gila River community.

“Like our sister tribes and businesses all over Arizona, we have tried to do what is best for all, while processing new information and new guidelines about the pandemic with little in the way of definitive guidance,' he said.

Last week, the casinos also instituted the mandatory mask policy.

According to a released statement, the casinos will use the closure to implement new safety measures, including:

• Disinfection procedures.
• Social distancing measures.
• Health checks.
• Testing protocols.
• Masking guidelines.

All employees will continue to be paid in full throughout the closure and will receive full medical benefits, according to Gila River's statement.

Have a question or tip? Reach the reporter Sasha Hupka at Alexandra.Hupka@gannett.com or on Twitter: @SashaHupka.

Lone Butte Casino Phoenix Arizona Hotels

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Remembering COVID-19 victims

Lone Butte Casino Phoenix Arizona Casino

Paying tribute to Arizonans lost to the pandemic

Remembered

'Paying tribute to Arizona victims of COVID-19

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gila River casinos temporarily close again after employee death, Arizona's rising COVID-19 cases