Will We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort open a sportsbook?

We-Ko-Pa Casino is a large resort in the Valley with enough potential to host a retail sportsbook in the future. The newly-ratified Tribal-State Gaming Compact allows tribal casinos to pursue deals with sports betting companies and launch retail sportsbooks on the casino floor.

We-Ko-Pa Casino has already launched mobile apps for Android and iOS devices that allow users to keep up-to-date with the latest promotions and participate in weekly drawings for cash and various other prizes. However, since there are only ten available tribal licenses for Arizona online sports betting, it is unclear whether or not We-Ko-Pa will be part of the online betting app industry.

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort – slots & casino games

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Fort McDowell, AZ, offers its guests the following choice of slot machines and table games to enjoy:

Slot machines

The brand new We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort expanded its gaming offer considerably compared to the previous casino on its location. There are over 850 innovative, intriguing, and exciting slot games from leading software providers such as Ainsworth, AGS, IGT, Everi, Konami, Scientific Games, and many other industry top dogs.

Slot machines are available in multiple denominations, ranging from penny slots to multi-dollar machines. There are slots with standalone jackpots and multi-progressive jackpot machines from Aristocrat’s Dragon Link and Konami’s All Aboard series.

We-Ko-Pa Casino also has a sizable High Limit Lounge with over 50 slots and 45 video poker machines, among which the majority have a $5 bet limit. The following are slots that count among the most popular ones:

• Chili Chili Fire - Chili Chili Fire is a classic slot machine from Konami Gaming that features five reels with three rows of symbols and three possible versions of the payline structure: 20, 30, or 40 paylines. It has an interesting Mexican theme and several bonus features that make it very appealing, including the celebrated Action Stacked Symbols mechanic, a free spins bonus round that grants you 10, 12, or 25 free spins, and much more.
• Dancing Drum Explosion - Dancing Drum Explosion is an Asian-themed slot game by Scientific Games that belongs to the Dancing Drum series of slots known by virtually all slot enthusiasts globally. Given that it belongs to that group of slots, the game is bound to offer four different Fu Babies jackpots, plus a range of other promotions, such as the Gold Free Spins Bonus, in which the reels expand to bring upwards of 32,768 ways to win during the free games.
• Monte Carlo Multi Spin - Monte Carlo Multi Spin is another classic slot with three reels and five paylines from the masterminds at Scientific Games. The game operates on SG’s new cabinet TwinStar® 3RM Spinner with improved RGB LED backlights, bezel lighting, and a top box wheel, the centerpiece of the Multi Spin Bonus that may award multiple jackpots to lucky players.
• The Price is Right Showcase Showdown - If you are into slot games based on popular game shows, you will love IGTs The Price is Right Showcase Showdown, where the action unfolds on a vast 11-foot tall cabinet with a 32-inch display. By landing three Spin symbols on one of the five available paylines, the Showcase Showdown feature is activated, where a giant wheel will spin to reveal a large cash prize.
• Ultimate Cash Spin — Ultimate Cash Spin on the TwinStar J43â„¢ Motion Wheel cabinet by SG is one of the most interactive slots out there. The 5×3 playing grid with 30 paylines is home to the U-Turn Wheel Bonus, where players physically spin the bonus wheel to reveal prizes that may include free spins, cash prizes, and many other rewards. If the wheel ends its spin on a wedge with Diamond symbols, the spin on the upgraded wheel is activated, giving players a chance to walk away with big cash prizes.

Table games

We-Ko-Pa Casino is not all about slot games. There is also something for players who enjoy classic card games such as blackjack and poker. The blackjack pit at the resort is home to 20+ blackjack tables with betting limits that range from $5 to $1,000 per hand, and it is a premium gaming location for top blackjack action. Apart from this game, players can also enjoy heads-up poker and other exciting table games such as:

• Blackjack
• Spanish 21
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em
• Three-card poker
• Bonus-bet blackjack
• Push Your Luck

All tables are available 24/7, as are the slots.

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort poker room

We Ko Pa Casino Resort has a spectacular poker room with five state-of-the-art poker tables featuring different poker games, HD-TVs, a guest host station, plush chairs, and many other amenities. You can compete against other poker enthusiasts in Texas Hold’em and Omaha games and claim numerous poker promotions. For example, if you lose with pocket aces, you can receive up to $250 while playing live games.

Be advised, the poker room is only open Thursday-Sunday, but games run 24/7 during that period.

No-Limit Texas Hold’em tournaments run from Thursday through Friday at noon. There is a $50 buy-in that gives you a 15,000 chip start. A $15 add-on at the break is available, and re-entry is allowed after the first break.

Fortune Club loyalty program

We-Ko-Pa Casino runs a proprietary loyalty program called Fortune Club, designed to reward the most loyal patrons every time they set foot in the casino. With a Fortune Club card, players unlock a series of benefits and perks that include discounts on golf, dining, spa, hotel, free slots play, free check cashing, tailor-made and exclusive bonus deals, birthday bonuses, complimentary drinks, and more.

The program consists of five different tiers, with each one offering more generous benefits than the last. To earn loyalty points, players need to play slots, video poker, and table games. The more you play, the faster you accumulate the loyalty points that get you to the next level. The bonus points you also make can be redeemed for free play, meals, hotel rooms, and more.

Here’s the entire bonus structure of the Fortune Club loyalty program and the points needed to enter the levels:

• Earth — 0 to 4,999 points
• Moon — 5,000 to 89,999 points
• Sun — 90,000 to 299,999 points
• Sky — 300,000 to 499,999 points
• Universe — 500,000+ points

The moment you sign up for the program, you will receive $10 in free play as a welcome bonus, and that is just the start. As long as you play at We-Ko-Pa Casino, there is a chance to win something.

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort responsible gambling program

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort urges its players never to forget that gambling should be fun and always kept in check. Its responsible gambling policy states that no person under the age of 21 can gamble at the premises and imposes various other strict rules and regulations to safeguard players from the negative influence of gambling.

We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort history and current owners

We-Ko-Pa Casino started its journey as a bingo hall back in 1984. In the following years, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation started adding slot machines, especially following the 988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which paved the way for tribal casino gaming in the country.

However, the Yavapai Nation had a tough time defending its slot machines from the federal agents who wanted to seize all of them. Finally, after an eight-year battle, the casino owners won, and in 1992, the bingo hall was rebranded and renamed Fort McDowell Casino.

The Fort McDowell Casino was in operation for 28 years until it was replaced by a new We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort that opened its doors to visitors in 2020, following the completion of a $120 million construction project, one of the biggest projects in the area.