"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - New Cherokee Casino Going Up

***"The new Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs ground breaking."***

WEST SILOAM SPRINGS, OKLAHOMA - A few small bulldozers are the first signs of something much bigger to come, as Cherokee Nation Enterprises broke ground Thursday on a massive $55 million expansion of Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs.

A brand new 200,000 square foot facility is expected to replace the existing 36,000 square foot facility by May 2008. The new Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs is aiming for bigger thrills and more entertainment options than ever with more than 1,300 electronic games and nearly 40 poker and table games.

"This expansion represents Cherokee Nation's strong re-investment strategy; we take the money our businesses make and reinvest them locally to create more jobs," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "Because of this strategy, our businesses now pay 10 times more money back to the Cherokee Nation for services than they did just seven years ago when I took office. Continued growth requires continued reinvestment."

The new rustic themed facility will feature a fine dining restaurant, a Las Vegas style buffet and three new eateries. Guests will be able to enjoy live entertainment and cocktails in the country and western bar, the piano lounge or the sports bar nearly every night of the week.

"With this expansion we will continue to provide bigger and better entertainment opportunities for people in northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas," said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises. "Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs will be on par with the rest of the Cherokee Casino family in providing superior guest service, exciting games and a beautiful, first-class facility."

The expansion and added amenities at Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs will require additional workers to run the facility, which currently employs more than 400 people. By the time the casino opens, at least 1,000 new workers will be needed. Throughout the construction period, CNE plans to hold career fairs to find people to fill the new positions.

"When you talk to most Cherokee people, they'll tell you that all it takes for them to contribute back to their community is a good job with good benefits," Smith said. "That's what makes this expansion so important; not only does it make sense from a bottom line perspective for the business, but it also creates hundreds of jobs with good benefits, near Cherokee communities. That's important because the best way to keep our culture and language alive is to have strong communities, and the best way to have strong communities is to provide good jobs for our citizens."

To better accommodate the new facility and avert potential congestion issues for the community, CNE is also undertaking considerable road, utility and infrastructure repairs.

An interior revitalization is also underway at the existing facility. Guests can enjoy the facelift, which includes fresh paint and new carpet, while the new Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs is being built.

Cherokee Nation Enterprises is the retail, gaming, entertainment and hospitality business for the Cherokee Nation and operates casinos in Catoosa, Claremore, Roland, West Siloam Springs, Fort Gibson, Sallisaw and Tahlequah, as well as two Cherokee Outpost convenience stores, seven retail tobacco shops, two gift shops, two golf courses, and three hotels. The company employs more than 3,000 people throughout northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas.