An artist's rendering of the forthcoming Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Gaming is already taking place at the Saracen Casino Annex across the street. Image: Quapaw Nation

Openings & Closings

Quapaw Nation debuts casino on ancestral territory in Arkansas

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

The Quapaw Nation officially opened the doors to its commercial casino in Arkansas on Tuesday morning.

The Saracen Casino Annex features 300 slot machines and will soon offer sports betting following a surprise soft opening over the weekend, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. The facility is located in Pine Bluff in Jefferson County and is named after a Quapaw chief who is buried there.

“This region was once home to the Quapaw Nation. Our presence here is a homecoming, so it’s important to us that the city of Pine Bluff and Jefferson County thrive,” Chairman John Berrey said. “This begins with investing in the individuals who live here. Gainful employment benefits the employee, but it also transforms that individual’s household and allows him or her to invest in local businesses and grow the local economy.”

VIDEO: In a surprise "soft" opening Friday, Saracen Casino Annex opened for business in Pine Bluff at 6 p.m., four days ahead of a planned grand opening scheduled for Tuesday morning.https://t.co/YyTR69XHSg pic.twitter.com/fluqPEs3Aq
— NWA Democrat-Gazette (@nwademgaz) September 28, 2019

The modest space is adjacent to the Q Store, the tribe's convenience store and gas station. It's a prelude to the $350 million Saracen Casino Resort that's under construction across the street.

The larger resort is due to open in June 2020. Construction is generating an estimated 1,000 jobs while the casino itself is expected to employ 1,100 people.

“The opening of the Annex and next summer’s opening of the Saracen Casino Resort will draw visitors from across Arkansas and surrounding states,” Berrey said. “As a result of this draw, we’ll see more businesses open and expand. These are aspects of a lively community, and we are happy to be a part of the renewal taking place here.”

Voters in Arkansas approved gaming at four locations, including one in Jefferson County, through passage of Issue 4 on the November 2018 ballot. The tribe was a primary backer of the initiative and is the first to open a facility as a result of the referendum.

The tribe operates two Indian gaming facilities in Oklahoma -- the Quapaw Casino in Miami, and the Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw. Downstream also extends into the neighboring states of Kansas and Missouri but gaming does not currently occur on those portions of the property.