By Felicia Fonseca — Associated Press

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) – The Navajo Nation doesn’t have any casinos in Arizona, but under a compact with the state, it has the right to slot-machine revenue.

So while plans come together for a casino resort near Leupp, the tribe has auctioned off its excess slot machines to other Arizona tribes.

It’s the first time an Arizona tribe has done so as part of a pooling agreement, said Seena Simon, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Gaming.

In his quarterly address to the Tribal Council Jan. 28, Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. said the approach allows the tribe to generate revenue through gaming, while ensuring it has the slot machines needed for future casino development.

”Because of this, the Navajo Nation will quickly become a dominant force within the Arizona gaming market,” he said.

Auctioning gaming devices is different from leasing them in that whoever wins the bid would be allowed to generate revenue off the machines until – in this case – the Navajo Nation’s gaming compact expires in 2025, Simon said.

The auction was held Jan. 23 in Arizona, and Navajo officials say they expect to bring in more than $140 million over the next 18 years as a result.

Navajo Gaming Chief Bob Winter said the bids will be evaluated over the next 30 days. The agreements would need to be approved by the Tribal Council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

The Navajo Nation has plans for six casinos – two in New Mexico and four in Arizona. Shirley has said the casinos could bring in $100 million in revenues annually to the tribe. The first is scheduled to open in July near Gallup, N.M.

The second is planned along Interstate 40 in Leupp and could take up to two years to construct, Winter said. The local chapter recently approved the withdrawal of 100 acres to be used to develop a resort-type casino.

The development will include about 800 slot machines, a hotel, an RV park and conference center, Shirley said.

Although the Navajo Nation has had difficulty in developing the economy on the vast reservation, Shirley said plans are moving forward that will put the tribe on a path to self-sufficiency.

”At long last, this is the year when the deep and common desire of our people to stand on their own again will begin to bear fruit, and we, as a nation, take the first true steps to return us to independence.”