Land-Based John Dinius

Talking Stick Resort

9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85256, USA

Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Talking Stick Resort is operated by the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community and opened in 2010.

Facilities

There are over 1,400 slot machines at Talking Stick Resort, which accept multiple denominations and cover 250 different games. There is also a dedicated slots room. 

The live table games at the casino include roulette, craps blackjack, pai gow poker, three card poker, high card flush and ultimate texas hold’em. There are also 37 electronic roulette wheel machines and twelve electronic craps units.

The Arena Poker room is one of the largest in Arizona, with 59 tables and games offered 24/7. Dealers are trained in hold'em, stud, omaha, limit, no-limit, no-limit tournaments, and mixed games. 

Talking Stick Resort also offers sports betting, with kiosks located throughout the property that can be accessed 24/7, as well as betting windows open daily.

Finally, the High-Limit Gaming Room has 100 slot machines and 14 table games. It also has its own entrance, cage, host station and restrooms.

History and Renovations

The first property to open at this location was Casino Arizona, also owned and operated by the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community. It was opened in 1999 following the success of the first Casino Arizona location. This venue has 332 slot machines and 45 table games. 

The first renovation was completed in 2003, which expanded Casino Arizona to offer additional table games, those being blackjack and poker, as well as keno and a sports bar. 

The ground for the permanent Talking Stick Resort was broken in September 2006 and the construction was led by Chanen Construction Company.

A grand opening ceremony was held on June 10, 2010 for the Talking Stick Resort, despite it officially opening on April 15, 2010. Once the resort was opened and operating, the Casino Arizona facility was closed and its contents were auctioned off to the public.

In April 2014, the new Talking Stick Resort building received its first renovation in the form of a new lounge pool and an outdoor entertainment arena. 

Tribal Information

The Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) is made of two tribes, the Pima and the Maricopa, many of which were previously part of the Halchidoma tribe. 

The community was founded on June 14th 1879 by an executive order from US President Rutherford Birchard Hayes.

The SRPMIC also operates a range of non-gaming operations, including Courtyard by Marriot Salt River, the first Marriott-branded property built on US tribal land. The hotel was designed to incorporate both the Akimel Au-Authum (Pima) People and the Xalychidom Piipaash (Maricopa) People, with several photographs of the SRPMIC displayed around the property.

Corporate Partners

Live Nation: Talking Stick Resort announced on January 11, 2023 that it had partnered with Live Nation to become the name-in-title sponsor of the popular venue formerly known as the Ak-Chin Pavilion. The venue was subsequently renamed to Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre.

Arizona Diamondbacks: On May 16, 2022, Talking Stick Resort was named the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise’s official casino and resort partner.

Non-gaming facilities

Hotel

The hotel at Talking Stick has 496 hotel rooms and 45 suites with views looking out over the Camelback and McDowell Mountains.

Guests at the hotel will be able to access the resort swimming pools and jacuzzi facilities. These include the resort's main pool and the lounge pool, which is a shallow pool that lets guests rest half-in half-out.

RV Resort

While there isn’t a full RV resort, there is a designated parking area for RV vehicles at Talking Stick.

Restaurants 

Talking Stick Resort has a few different dining options, including Tash, Orange Sky, Ocean Trail, Blue Coyote Cantina and several other lounges.

Entertainment 

The Talking Stick Resort is known for hosting release pool parties at its Wave nightclub venue, which has featured artists such as Skrillex, Steve Aoki, Deadmau5 and Zedd. The main stage is located just in front of the main pool.

The Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort is an indoor concert hall that can seat up to 1,600 people at once, or be divided into eight smaller rooms.  

Golf

The Talking Stick Golf Club is managed by Century Golf and located close by to the casino and resort. The two courses were designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, with the Piipaash Course serving a traditional layout and the O’odham Course featuring a links design with grasslands and unique bunkering.

The golf course’s first renovation was completed in the spring of 2024 and features a new Golf Academy, Sandwich House and a fully updated Clubhouse.

Spa & Fitness Center

The Spa at Talking Stick is located on the 14th floor of the Talking Stick Resort. The spa menu includes body therapies, massages, facials and salon services. The general facilities include waterfall showers, an eucalyptus steam room, a hot tub and a relaxation space.

The Fitness Center is located next to the spa and includes treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, weight machines, free weights and yoga mats.

Cultural Center

The Cultural Center and Talking Stick Resort has a collection of Native American art including a titular talking stick. Most of the art displayed here is created by members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) and includes pottery, jewelry, textiles, baskets, historic photos and commissioned paintings.

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