Later this fall, Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am will open its doors to the Tucson community — joining the company’s lineup of gaming and hospitality properties across Southern Arizona. More than a new casino, Vahi Taa’am sits on culturally significant Old Pascua land held in trust for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
“I feel all of the emotions,” said Lesah Sesma, general manager of the casino. “I’m super excited for our tribe, our community.
“I’m super scared, just as a business person, but it’s going to be phenomenal to have that right in the middle of Tucson.”
Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am is scheduled to open on Nov. 15. The 163,000-square-foot property houses a 52,334-square-foot gaming floor which features approximately 924 slots for guests to enjoy — including two blackjack pits. The central bar, Sesma’s favorite of the amenities, will have a large LED screen on one side that displays a waterfall. The campus will also include multiple food vendors and shops. Old Pascua “OP” Grill and Sewa Market are both destinations which reflect the culture of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Similarly to the company’s other properties, Vahi Taa’am will also have its own VIP lounge in the form of Club Sol.
Speaking about the project through her own connection to the Pascua Yaqui community, Sesma said that the opening of the new casino is very culturally significant.
“Bringing Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa’am to the community here is almost like a homecoming,” she said. “For the elders that were here before us and the families that have stayed at Old Pascua, being able to bring a sense of community, entertainment, job opportunities and economic development to this area of Tucson is going to be so significant — not only for the tribe but for the whole community.”
“It’s taken a lot to get us to where we are right now.”
Across gaming operations, food and beverage, hospitality, security and administration, Vahi Taa’am is expected to create approximately 500 jobs.
Before becoming the casino it stands as today, Sesma said that Vahi Taa’am was a movie theater. On her daily commutes from Coolidge to Tucson for work, she said she noticed the structure and often pondered possible uses for the land and building. Initially, the idea felt like a pipe dream and community members voiced varying opinions on it. Eventually, approval for the project came and construction began. After clearing that hurdle, Sesma said the rest of the process passed quickly.
“This is going to sound so goofy — but watching it rise from the ashes was so touching,” she said. “It was like, ‘Yes, we did this,’ and it’s going to bring so much more for the community.”
For Sesma, Vahi Taa’am — meaning “Three Suns” in Yoeme, the language of the Pascua Yaqui people — reflects both the tribe’s history and its hopes for the future. She said members of the Pascua Yaqui community lived in Old Pascua long before the tribe received federal recognition in 1978. While some moved to New Pascua over the years, many remained in the original area, Sesma said.
As a nod to the surrounding community, the casino includes art and cultural aesthetics among the Casino Del Sol signature Mediterranean theme. Yaqui contemporary artist Marcelino C. Flores III painted a mural for the gaming property, titled “Aniam Yo’orine” — Yoeme for “Respect the Worlds.” The artwork draws from Pascua Yaqui oral tradition, the Sonoran Desert and the five worlds of Yoeme spirituality.
Looking forward to the future of the new casino, Sesma said that she is hopeful for its success. Her vision of an ideal future for the location includes a hotel, a conference center and possibly a small, theater-esque venue. The general manager said that she would love for the casino to host events such as the Tucson Gem Show and build on its partnership with the University of Arizona.
Beyond all else, the most important part of opening the casino, Sesma said, is the investment in the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. With limited land and fewer opportunities for other forms of economic development, she said the tribe has made the most of what is available to it.
“These are the dreams our elders dreamt — they had a vision for us to be a self-sustaining sovereign nation,” she said. “It’s hard to be dealt a hand and then just have to try to win with that hand.”
“This is the bread and butter of the (Pascua Yaqui) Tribe and this is how we support our nation.”
