Today we take a trip to the Ft. McDowell Casino. Fort McDowell is an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, Arizona. Fort McDowell is 23 miles northeast of Phoenix. In 1984 the tribe began its first gaming operation when it opened Ba'Ja Bingo. In 1992 the operation expanded by adding slot machines and renaming itself the Fort McDowell Casino. After 28 years Fort McDowell Casino was permanently closed on Oct. 25, 2020, and was replaced by the We-Ko-Pa Casino.