Iowa Tribe to develop I-44 Casino Hotel

[Bowser214]

New Casino & Hotel between OKC & Tulsa near Perkins on I-44
Scratching my head on this one. I would think this would definitely take business away from the Casinos Hotels in Tulsa.
https://news.worldcasinodirectory.co...-resort-108852

[BoulderSooner]

. I would think this would definitely take business away from the Casinos Hotels in Tulsa.

which this tribe doesn't own ... so that is not their concern .. and i'm sure they hope that it does

[Jersey Boss]

New Casino & Hotel between OKC & Tulsa near Perkins on I-44
Scratching my head on this one. I would think this would definitely take business away from the Casinos Hotels in Tulsa.
https://news.worldcasinodirectory.co...-resort-108852

Perkins is 90 minutes away from Tulsa. I don't see a potential impact on Tulsa gaming.

[Jeepnokc]

Any clue where along I-44? I am sure Stroud would love to develop the old Tanger Mall site. I have no clue their restrictions on where they can build. Does it have to be on their reservation? "The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is headquartered in Perkins, Oklahoma, and their tribal jurisdictional area is in Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties, Oklahoma" according to Wiki.

They have a casino in Chandler already which i just west of town on 66.

[jn1780]

Any clue where along I-44? I am sure Stroud would love to develop the old Tanger Mall site. I have no clue their restrictions on where they can build. Does it have to be on their reservation? "The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is headquartered in Perkins, Oklahoma, and their tribal jurisdictional area is in Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties, Oklahoma" according to Wiki.

They have a casino in Chandler already which i just west of town on 66.

Another article says Iowas have some territory in the Chandler area along Turner. This will get a lot of business from north OKC/Edmond.

[Richard at Remax]

The article in the Oklahoman stated that the communities of Wellson and Chandler would benefit the most. So I would assume right in that area. I would guess that it would be along Route 66 and probably play into that theme.

[Pete]

Press release:

***********

Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Selects Caesars Entertainment as Management Partner
Partnership Launches with Planned Harrah’s Branded Casino in the Sooner State
May 4, 2023 – The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma announced today that it has selected Caesars Entertainment,
Inc. (“Caesars Entertainment” or “Caesars”) as its management partner for a proposed integrated resort
to be built off I-44 between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The Harrah’s branded resort will be built in phases
with a casino and several dining options available when the property opens. A hotel build-out will follow
as the second phase of the project. More details will be released at a later date.

“Caesars Entertainment is the largest gaming company in North America. They have a strong track record
of partnering with Native American Tribes across the country, making them an easy choice to help us
develop a world-class, full-service resort experience. With Caesars, our guests will have the ability to
leverage the Caesars Rewards® program, adding value and extending the reach for us in Oklahoma and
beyond,” said Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Chairman Perri Ahhaitty. “This partnership will ensure that the
Tribe has the economic resources to provide for the health, welfare and safety of our Tribal members for
years to come as well as bring much needed jobs to our Tribal members and the surrounding
communities. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Caesars and the local
community with the brand-new Harrah’s right here in Oklahoma.”

“We are honored to be selected by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma to help them achieve their goals. We’re
looking forward to bringing Harrah’s to a new market,” said Robert Livingston, SVP of Development,
Caesars Entertainment. “With properties throughout the midwest, Harrah’s is the perfect brand fit for
Oklahoma.”

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma currently owns and operates Cimarron Casino and Ioway Casino as well as
slot machines inside the Iowa Travel Plaza and Mart.

[Pete]

Their property is on the south side of I-44 and north of Route 66, between Chandler and Wellston and just east of the small town of Warwick.

Access from the Turnpike would be at either the Wellston or Chandler exits. The development would be to the north of the existing and modest Ioway Casino which opened in 2013.

[warreng88]

When they said between OKC and Tulsa, I was hoping it was the old outlet mall land in Stroud.

[warreng88]

This might be a stupid question, but what is the draw for casinos like this that are off the beaten path? I get Winstar, Riverwind, Hard Rock even Newcastle and Lucky Star have built a big following lately.

[Urbanized]

When they said between OKC and Tulsa, I was hoping it was the old outlet mall land in Stroud.

That was my first thought too, but having ridden on my motorcycle down that stretch of Route 66 a lot, this location is better IMO. Definitely better access to OKC, plus being situated between I-40 and 66 in that section where they run very close together is a pretty genius move. Should be a pretty solid economic driver for the area.

[warreng88]

That was my first thought too, but having ridden on my motorcycle down that stretch of Route 66 a lot, this location is better IMO. Definitely better access to OKC, plus being situated between I-40 and 66 in that section where they run very close together is a pretty genius move. Should be a pretty solid economic driver for the area.

That makes sense. It look like it wouldn't be visible from I-44, but I am sure there will be plenty of signs at that Wellston exit for it. And people who enjoy traveling down Route 66.

My family likes to drive all over and we have stopped at several casino spots just to go to the bathroom, gas and maybe a snack as they usually have a good selection. I would guess this would be somewhat similar.

[Pete]

Looks like the casino would be 4 miles from the Wellston exit and 7 miles from the one at Chandler.

[warreng88]

Looks like the casino would be 4 miles from the Wellston exit and 7 miles from the one at Chandler.

That's not bad. And you know there will be big signs on 44 advertising for it.

[soonergolfer]

The bigger news is the fact that Caesars is partnering with the casino. That can be a pretty big advantage if you can earn comps for rooms in Vegas and other properties.

I also wonder if the partnership has anything to do with sports betting. If a law is passed, Caesars could roll out their platform with the flip of a switch. Even if the tribes don’t come to an agreement with the state, this tribe could come up with its own agreement.

[scottk]

This might be a stupid question, but what is the draw for casinos like this that are off the beaten path? I get Winstar, Riverwind, Hard Rock even Newcastle and Lucky Star have built a big following lately.

Depending on how easy it is to get to off of I-44, its a draw for those of us on the north side of the city, getting to Riverwind and NewCastle can be quite a journey south depending on the time of day, and it has potential to be closer than Grand Casino, Riverwind, and Newcastle all together. Given the backing of Caesar's and Harrah's name, it could be a property on par with Hard Rock and River Spirit in Tulsa. The current OKC Casino offerings dont' really offer a full resort feel. It would be nice to see if something the size of the original Choctaw Durant Tower could be built and add in the higher end food and resort style pool. I also think something the size of Downstream in Miami that pulls in from Joplin and Tulsa could be a good model. If done right, this could be a really nice destination other than just a large casino with a basic hotel attached.

The other draw would be people who frequent Vegas or similar, you could easily get certain player's club Rewards at Harrah's Oklahoma, and then use it at their other properties.

[Pete]

If they do it as nicely as the Hard Rock in Tulsa or the Choctaw in Durant, it could be a huge draw for OKC and Edmond.

Riverwind near Norman is the best the area has to offer and that's both pretty far from the northside and also not really a resort.

[gjl]

It would a casino we would go to but net stay in the hotel like when we go to Winstar or Riverspirit. It would be a 40 minute drive from our house. That is way too close for an overnight or two night stay. Same reason we wouldn't stay overnight at Riverwind or Grand.

[Plutonic Panda]

If the Access Oklahoma plan gets back on track they are planning to add several new entrances along I-44 between OKC and Tulsa I wonder if this will be near one of them.

[Pete]

Heading toward Tulsa, access will be very easy: Take the Route 66 Exit in Wellston and it's only 4 miles down the road with really nothing to slow you down.

Going the other direction is trickier as you have to wind through the heart of Chandler and it's 7 miles rather than 4.

[Bowser214]

Interesting Info on Caesars and all its brands.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesars_Entertainment

[scottk]

Heading toward Tulsa, access will be very easy: Take the Route 66 Exit in Wellston and it's only 4 miles down the road with really nothing to slow you down.

Going the other direction is trickier as you have to wind through the heart of Chandler and it's 7 miles rather than 4.

Wonder if it gets large enough if OTA would build dedicated exits that align closer to the site, similar to the projects near Winstar to improve infrastructure to get to and from the property. US 75 also became controlled access as Choctaw Casino Durant grew.

[Snowman]

Wonder if it gets large enough if OTA would build dedicated exits that align closer to the site, similar to the projects near Winstar to improve infrastructure to get to and from the property. US 75 also became controlled access as Choctaw Casino Durant grew.

Given how many gaps in suburban areas OTA skips that likely would have more traffic, it seems pretty unlikely.

It looks like they are having to work with quirks of tribal boundaries and existing roads; their territory starts just past Luthor, Wellston, and basically concurrent with Warwick. Then end before hitting Chandler.
Logistically it plausibly would be easier for the Kikapoo tribe to locate one for convenient access. Since the exits that serve Luthor to Wellston are both a mile of road travel within their boundary.

[Bowser214]

Drove by this development today. Harrah’s Casino. Looks bigger in person. Sorry the pic isn’t the best.

[BoulderSooner]

to bad they didn't reallly go all in with this and make it a destination resort

https://www.lcnok.com/lincoln-county...reaking-ground