East of the Phoenix metro, the casino map belongs to the Apache. All four floors in this guide are owned by Apache tribes, and three different tribes share them: the White Mountain Apache at Hon-Dah, the San Carlos Apache at both Apache Gold and Apache Sky, and the Tonto Apache at Mazatzal in Payson. None of them is a big resort floor, and each one leans on something other than table games. Every one requires players to be 21, a rule that comes from the state's tribal-state gaming compacts.
Three tribes, four floors
White Mountain Apache Tribe: Hon-Dah Resort Casino. The name means "welcome" in Apache. Hon-Dah sits on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, three miles outside Pinetop where Highways 260 and 73 meet, at roughly 7,000 feet. Its 20,000 square feet are all machines, more than 800 of them, plus a five-table poker room open daily. There is no live pit. The 125-room hotel is the largest in the White Mountains.
San Carlos Apache Tribe: Apache Gold Casino Resort is the tribe's resort, five minutes east of Globe on Highway 70. The 60,000-square-foot floor carries 400-plus slots, a 200-seat bingo hall and a couple of tables for blackjack and Three Card Poker. The bigger draw is Apache Stronghold, an 18-hole par-72 by Tom Doak routed around fourteen archaeological sites. There are 145 rooms and a 60-space RV park.
San Carlos Apache Tribe: Apache Sky Casino, the same tribe's second floor, opened in April 2017 on a 170-acre site at the southern tip of the Nation, about fifteen minutes south of Winkelman. It offers slots and blackjack, the tribe does not publish counts, and there is no hotel. Dining runs to the Sky Diner, Sky Bar and Sky Snax.
Tonto Apache Tribe: Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson has the widest mix on the smallest footprint: 400-plus slot and video poker machines with blackjack, bingo, poker and sports wagering, all on set schedules. The hotel is 40 suites, and it is the only one of the four that closes on weekdays.
Side by side
| Hon-Dah | Apache Gold | Apache Sky | Mazatzal | |
| Tribe | White Mountain Apache | San Carlos Apache | San Carlos Apache | Tonto Apache |
| Nearest town | Pinetop | Globe | Winkelman | Payson |
| Machines | 800+ | 400+ | Not published | 400+ |
| Live tables | None, machines only | Blackjack, Three Card Poker | Blackjack | Blackjack |
| Poker | Five-table room | No room | No room | Scheduled games |
| Bingo | Not noted | 200-seat hall | Not noted | Yes |
| Hotel | 125 rooms | 145 rooms | None | 40 suites |
| RV sites | 507 | 60 | None noted | None noted |
| Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 7am to midnight weekdays, 24h weekends |
The drive
These floors are spread out, and the distances shape every trip. From Phoenix, Payson is about ninety minutes north-east on the Beeline Highway, and Globe is about ninety minutes east on US 60, a route with some of the better mountain scenery in the state. Hon-Dah is the outlier at around 200 miles from both Phoenix and Tucson, three to four hours with a climb at the end, so treat it as an overnight stop.
Apache Sky is the southern end of the chain, roughly an hour from Apache Gold and about halfway between Globe and Tucson, in the copper country along the San Pedro and Gila rivers. Fill the tank before you set out.
Altitude is part of the appeal. Payson sits at around 5,000 feet, fifteen to twenty degrees cooler than Phoenix in summer, and Hon-Dah sits higher still, with snow on its parking lot in winter. Both hotels book out in peak season, so reserve early for a summer weekend.
Which floor suits which trip
- Poker: Hon-Dah's daily room, or Mazatzal's scheduled games.
- Golf: Apache Gold, and book tee times well ahead.
- Bingo: Apache Gold's 200-seat hall or Mazatzal's sessions.
- A quick local stop with no frills: Apache Sky.
- An RV base for a mountain holiday: Hon-Dah.
Frequently asked questions
Which casino is near Globe, Arizona?
Apache Gold Casino Resort, about five minutes east of town on Highway 70.
Do any eastern Arizona casinos have live poker?
Yes. Hon-Dah has a five-table poker room open seven days a week, and Mazatzal runs poker on a set schedule.
Is Mazatzal open 24 hours?
Only at weekends. It runs 7am to midnight Monday to Friday.
Which casino has the biggest RV park?
Hon-Dah, with 507 full hook-up sites.
Planning a longer road trip? Use our Arizona casino day-trip checklist.
