In 2011 the casino and resort was the major contributor to the economy of Pinal County. The Community opened a gaming casino in 1994, Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino, with related hotel facilities. This settlement enabled it to continue using irrigation to support its agriculture and other needs. Gaining federal recognition in 1961, the tribe has established a large agricultural operation, aided by gaining water rights to the Colorado River in a 1984 federal settlement. The Maricopa Reservation was established by the federal government in 1912, under President William Howard Taft within a few months his administration reduced it by more than half, due to opposition from non-Native farmers in the area. The Community comprises over 1,100 members that live on and off the reservation. According to the 2020 United States Census, the reservation has 1,070 residents. The Community is composed mainly of Akimel Oʼodham and Tohono Oʼodham, as well as some ethnic Hia-Ced Oʼodham members. The Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation ( O'odham language: ʼAkĭ Ciñ O'odham) is a federally recognized tribe and Native American community located in the Santa Cruz Valley in Pinal County, Arizona, 37 miles south of Phoenix and near the city of Maricopa.
