The casino is one of the largest employer in Payson, Arizona, employing over 300. It is a 35,000 square-foot casino which includes over 300 slot machines, a poker room, a 300-seat bingo hall, restaurant, sports lounge, gift shop and arcade. On September 3, 1994, the Mazatzal Casino opened for business. The winter snow provides unlimited skiing, snowmobiling and even cross-country snow shoe racing. Phoenix) Toll-Free Number: (800) 777-7529 Restaurants: 2 Liquor: Yes Casino Size: 35,000 Square Feet Other Games: BJ. Mazatzal Casino & Restaurant Other amenities are available. The Mogollon Rim, just minutes from the reservation, offers beautiful pines, lakes, streams, camping and hunting. The casino is one of the largest employer in Payson, Arizona, employing over 300. The Mazatzal Mountains are located to the west the Sierra Ancha Mountains are to the south and the Mogollon Rim to the north. Thanks to the language differences among Anglos, Mexicans, and various Native American tribes, there are a whole lot of places around Arizona that no one. However, the reservation is surrounded by a variety of major land forms. Elevations range from 4,975 feet to 5,115 feet. Government and Council Member ListingĪs a result of the small size of the reservation, there are no significant geographic features within the reservation and natural resources such as timber and minerals are quite limited. Tribal members are well known in the art community for their outstanding bead work and basketry, which have won them national recognition and can be purchased on the reservation. Today, legislation is pending which will provide them trust title to the land upon which they reside. Some Tontos gradually returned to Payson after 20 years of exile to find white settlers had taken much of their land. The Reserve was dissolved in 1875 when they were forcibly moved to the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The large Rio Verde Reserve, near Camp Verde, was established in 1871 for the Tonto and Yavapai Indians. The Tonto Apache are the direct descendants of the Tontos who lived in the Payson vicinity long before the advent of the Anglo. One-third of the tribal members are under the age of 16 (BIA, Indians of Arizona, 1994). 102 members live on the reservation (Tonto Apache Tribe, 1994). The total population of the Tonto Apache Reservation is approximately 140 of which 110 are enrolled tribal members. The Tonto Apache Tribe is located adjacent to the town of Payson (originally named Te-go-suk, Place of the Yellow Water), in northwestern Gila County approximately 95 miles northeast of Phoenix and 100 miles southeast of Flagstaff, Arizona.Ĭonsisting of 85 acres, its the smallest land base reservation in the state of Arizona.