The Cherokee Nation topped off a project in Roland, Oklahoma, where it is building a 170,000 square foot, million addition at the Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland. Expected to be completed this summer, the project, located about a five-minute drive from the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, will add 100 new jobs.
The casino will offer 850 electronic games, table games and a poker room, as well as a café and buffet. The resort-style hotel will feature 120 rooms, plus convention space.
The new casino hotel will replace the tribe’s 50,000 square foot Cherokee Casino Roland operation, which opened in 1990. It features 600 electronic gaming machines, seven poker tables, six table games and a 24-hour diner, and employs 320 people. Once the new complex is completed, the old casino and hotel eventually will be demolished.
Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said, “Today marks a significant step toward completion of our Roland expansion. The Cherokee Nation’s growth means more money for infrastructure, roads and schools in Sequoyah County. That is good for the Cherokee Nation citizens and good for our partners at the municipal, county and state levels.” He noted Cherokee casino operations are contributing millions of dollars to benefit the nation’s citizens, including $100 million for new health care facilities. “Folks, we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing,” Baker said.
Shawn Slaton, chief executive officer for Cherokee Nation Businesses, said, “The new structure allows us to bring the newest and most exciting options to our guests, while bringing growth to the community where we got our first start. It’s a great day for Sequoyah County and this region.”
The Cherokee Nation is one of five Oklahoma Indian tribes with large-scale casino operations near the Arkansas line. The Roland property’s main competitor is the Choctaw Casino Hotel in Pocola, near Fort Smith, Arkansas, which was expanded in 2013 with a 118-room hotel and renovated gaming floor. In September, the Cherokee Nation announced a casino hotel will be part of a $170 million retail development in Tahlequah., When the Roland and Talequah projects are completed, the Cherokee Nation will have three casino hotels along the Arkansas border, more than any other Native American tribe.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment is the wholly owned gambling, hospitality, retail and tourism arm of the Cherokee Nation. It operates the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Okla.; seven Cherokee Casinos, including a horseracing track; four other hotels; two golf courses; and retail outlets. It employs about 3,700 people across all of its operations. In fiscal 2013, CNE reported revenue of $549.7 million.
