Gaming News

Sandia Casino Bubble Deflated

NEW MEXICO – As reported by the Albuquerque Tribune: "It's a slightly nostalgic moment for Sandia Pueblo Gov. Stuwart Paisano.

"It's a sigh of relief if you didn't like the big white bubble along I-25 just north of town.

"Above all, it's history disappearing as the building that launched Sandia Pueblo's ever-growing casino and entertainment operation comes down

"…The first Sandia Casino established itself beneath the tent-like structure in 1994 with limited card games, three years before compacts approved by the Legislature legalized casino gambling as it exists today.

"…The pueblo began gaming with a 30,000-square-foot bingo hall in 1983. In 1994, it built a 30,000-square-foot metal frame covered in a plastic resin skin as part of a $2 million expansion.

"Eleven years later, that bubble is coming down to make room for development and, Paisano said, for aesthetic reasons…"

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