Three Oklahoma tribes are building new casinos or renovating and expanding existing ones, all in the Tulsa area.
The Osage Nation will open its $150 million, 66,280 square foot Osage Casino and Hotel in late August. Located a few minutes from downtown Tulsa, the venue will replace a smaller facility at the same location. Osage Casinos Chief Executive Officer Byron Bighorse said, “I’m a realist and I know that we’re definitely going to have a mostly local market. That’s where our location is a big advantage. It’s perfect for a stay-cation.”
The new destination ill offer a 141-room hotel, and a gaming floor with 1,550 electronic gaming machines, 16 table games and five poker tables. In addition, an in-house craft brewery and an event center will open late this year.
In Catoosa, the Cherokee Nation’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been open just five years but several rooms are being remodeled. Also, Hard Rock officials indicated a major but secret expansion is planned in the future. Cherokee Nation Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Mark Fulton said the plans include gaming and “other amenities.” He noted although competition will be intense, Tulsa should be able to support three major casino resorts. “We’re growing the pie and not just fighting over bigger pieces of the pie. We definitely see ourselves as a full-service resort now and not just a place for gaming,” Fulton said.
The Creek Nation opened its $365 million Margaritaville expansion in 2016. Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos Chief Executive Officer Pat Crofts said that venue is a “game-changer for the tribe, for the city, for the whole Tulsa area.” It includes a 27-story glass tower overlooking the Arkansas River with 483 rooms. The tropical theme extends to poolside cabanas, palm trees, fire pits and a Margaritaville Tiki Bar—so popular it already has been reconfigured to accommodate larger crowds. The property also features an upscale spa, 30,000 square feet of convention space and RiverSpirit, a 2,700-seat concert venue that recently was selected to host the Miss Oklahoma Pageant.
