Despite heavy rains, more than 150 people recently attended the topping-out ceremony at the Quapaw Nation’s $350 million, 80,000-square-foot Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
When completed in June, the venue, located on 110 acres along Martha Mitchell Expressway, will offer a casino with 2,000 slots and 31 table games. A 300-room luxury hotel with entertainment space, conference center, spa, restaurants and lounges and other amenities will open in 2021. The project will provide 1,000 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs, officials said.
John Berrey, chairman of the Quapaw Nation, which operates the Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, Oklahoma, said, “This homecoming is causing a ripple effect across the region. This is just the beginning. When we open the casino this summer, you’ll see a draw from all across the south. As a result of this draw, you’ll see businesses open and expand. These are all things vital for a vibrant community. We’re proud to be a part of the renewal you’re seeing take place here.”
Mayor Shirley Washington noted, “This progress means jobs for the unemployed. It means jobs for the underemployed. It means entertainment. It means making Pine Bluff that destination city that we all have dreamed of it becoming. It’s one of the most amazing things that has happened to Pine Bluff in many, many years.”
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson added, “When this thing first began, I could not imagine how massive this would be. I did perceive the economic boost that it would give Jefferson County. I’ve been in the annex and you see the smiles of all the people who are employed. I even knew some of the people who did not have jobs, but now have jobs.”
The 15,000-square-foot Saracen Casino Annex, with 300 slot machines, and the Saracen Q-Store opened across the highway last October. Saracen Casino Project Manager Carlton Saffa said, “We’ve got close to 300 folks at work in the Annex and the Q Store. And those folks have health insurance, they have supplemental benefits with it: life insurance, 401K. Many of our employees told us they’ve never had a job with a 401K offered.” He stated, “Numbers have been incredible. The Annex is busy day and night, which means the city is excited to have us. Based on what we’ve seen at the Annex, we expect incredible things to happen here in June.”
Washington said the city’s tax revenue has increased by $100,000 a month since the Annex opened, including gaming tax revenue and money visitors spend on food, lodging and gas. “When you have 300 machines versus the coming of 2,000 machines, plus 50 gaming tables, I think that’s going to make a major impact on Pine Bluff, Arkansas,” Washington said.
The casino’s profits will be taxed at 13 percent on the first $150 million per year, and 20 percent on each additional dollar. Of the total, 55 percent will go to the state, 17.5 percent to the Arkansas Racing Commission to fund racing purses, 19.5 percent to the city of Pine Bluff and the remaining 8 percent to Jefferson County.
Washington said, “The money that we’ll get from this project will help us finance some of the amenities that we are going to bring in. We want Pine Bluff to become that destination city, and we think we are on the brink of making that happen.”
