Tucson's casinos come from just two tribes. The Pascua Yaqui Tribe runs Casino del Sol and its older sibling, Casino of the Sun. The Tohono O'odham Nation runs the Desert Diamond floors south of the city. Between them you get a Four Diamond resort, one of the largest gaming buildings in Arizona, two quieter rooms and some of the best bingo left in the state. Players must be 21.
The mix-up to avoid
Casino del Sol and Casino of the Sun are two different buildings, both Pascua Yaqui, with names one letter apart. Search engines and mapping apps confuse them, and visitors regularly drive to the wrong one. If you booked a hotel room or a concert, you want del Sol, the resort. Casino of the Sun is the small original, with no hotel.
Side by side
| Casino del Sol | Casino of the Sun | Desert Diamond Tucson | Desert Diamond Sahuarita | |
| Owner | Pascua Yaqui | Pascua Yaqui | Tohono O'odham | Tohono O'odham |
| Where | Valencia Road, about 12 miles from downtown | Tucson | Nogales highway, south of the city | Further south, towards Nogales |
| Floor | 1,300+ slots, 20 tables | About 250 to 300 machines | 165,000 sq ft, 1,000+ slots | Compact slot floor, limited tables |
| Poker | 10 tables | None noted | Poker room | Not noted |
| Bingo | One of the largest halls in the Southwest | Began as a bingo club in 1982 | 300 seats, closed Tue and Wed | Not noted |
| Stay | AAA Four Diamond hotel, golf, RV park | No hotel | Hotel and conference space | None noted |
| Google rating | 4.3, 15,000+ reviews | 4.2, 2,100+ reviews | 4.1, 9,800+ reviews | 4.2, 4,800+ reviews |
Casino del Sol: the resort
Casino del Sol is the best-regarded casino in southern Arizona, and Tucson Weekly readers have voted it the city's best four years running. It is a full resort: a AAA Four Diamond hotel, the Sewailo Golf Club, a conference centre, an amphitheatre and an RV park. The floor carries more than 1,300 slots, 20 tables, a 10-table poker room, a high-limit room and a sportsbook. Its bingo hall is one of the largest in the Southwest, which matters because several Phoenix-area casinos have dropped bingo altogether. Casino del Sol review.
Casino of the Sun: where it started
Casino of the Sun began in 1982 as the Bingo Club, described at the time as the first of its kind west of the Mississippi, and became a casino in 1994. Everything the Pascua Yaqui run in Tucson grew from this building. Today it is a small, local floor of roughly 250 to 300 machines with a handful of tables, known for low-limit blackjack. Casino of the Sun review.
Desert Diamond Tucson: the big floor
Desert Diamond Tucson covers 165,000 square feet, one of the largest gaming buildings in Arizona. It carries more than 1,000 slots, a poker room and sports betting kiosks, and its blackjack runs 24 hours a day, which not every Arizona pit does. The 300-seat bingo room has smoking and non-smoking sections and progressive jackpots, but it closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan a bingo trip for later in the week. Desert Diamond Tucson review.
Desert Diamond Sahuarita: the quiet one
Sahuarita, further south on the road to Nogales, rates higher than its big sibling at 4.2. Smaller floors usually do, because the queues, parking and service waits that drag down big rooms mostly disappear. It is reliably good for machines and a short wait, but the table offering is limited, so check the schedule before driving for a specific game. Sahuarita review.
If you are heading west towards Ajo, Desert Diamond Why on Highway 86 is a roadside stop with about 40 machines, a deli and a gas station. Why review.
Which one to choose
- A weekend or a show: Casino del Sol.
- The biggest floor and late-night blackjack: Desert Diamond Tucson.
- Bingo: del Sol any day, or Desert Diamond Tucson from Thursday to Monday.
- A quick, quiet session: Desert Diamond Sahuarita or Casino of the Sun.
Frequently asked questions
Is Casino del Sol the same as Casino of the Sun?
No. Both belong to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, but del Sol is the resort and Casino of the Sun is the smaller original with no hotel.
What is the biggest casino in Tucson?
Desert Diamond Tucson, at 165,000 square feet, is the largest gaming building. Casino del Sol is the largest resort.
When is bingo closed at Desert Diamond Tucson?
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
How old do you have to be to gamble in Tucson casinos?
For what Arizona law says about online play, read our guide to Arizona sweepstakes law.
