Openings & Closings

Oklahoma tribes reach for gamblers across border in Arkansas

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Choctaw Casino in Pocola, Oklahoma, near the Arkansas border. Photo from Twitter

Some gaming tribes in Oklahoma are taking advantage of their close position to the Arkansas border.

The Choctaw Nation opened an $60 million expansion of the Choctaw Casino in Pocola last year. The facility is a few miles from the Arkansas border.

"A majority of the cars in the Choctaw parking lot have Arkansas tags," Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders told Arkansas Business. Fort Smith is the city right across the border.

The Cherokee Nation is also tapping into the market with entirely new $80 million casino in Roland. Sixty-five percent of the existing facility's revenue comes from Arkansas gamblers.

“It’s the next step in the evolution of the casino site,” Mark Fulton, the COO of Cherokee Nation Entertainment, told Arkansas Business, referring to plans to add a 120-room hotel. “You do the math. You get two trips for one.”

Some Oklahoma tribes own land in Arkansas but full-scale gaming is not legal there. The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians once proposed a casino in Fort Smith but was rejected.

The Quapaw Tribe recently acquired 160 acres near Little Rock but hasn't announced plans for the site. The land falls within the boundaries of the tribe's former reservation.

Get the Story:
Gambling Near Fort Smith Continues to Expand (Arkansas Business 6/2)
Tribal Land in Arkansas Draws Scrutiny (Arkansas Business 6/2)