"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee Casino Resort Enters New Era

"Principal Chief Chad
Smith and Cherokee
Nation Enterprises CEO David Stewart unveil conceptual drawings of
a $100 million-plus expansion plan for Cherokee Casino Resort."

CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA - Cherokee Casino Resort is ushering in a new era with the New Year. Oklahoma’s first, and premier, gaming and entertainment destination is preparing to undergo an expansion and construction project worth more than $100 million. The post-construction facility will encompass approximately 337,000 square feet, making Cherokee Casino Resort the largest gaming destination in Oklahoma.

More than 1,700 people already work at Cherokee Casino Resort, but 450 additional employees will be needed to staff the newly expanded facility. With more than 2100 employees, Cherokee Casino Resort will soon be one of the largest employers in the area.

“If we were standing at the Catoosa facility eight years ago, we'd see a ‘mom and pop’ operation with a little bingo hall and a few employees,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “Standing in front of it today, the contrast is amazing. Cherokee Casino Resort has quadrupled in size and the number of workers it employs. It supports thousands of new jobs and has continued to create an economic boom in this region. The expansion brings us one step closer to achieving our vision of complete self-sufficiency for the Cherokee people.”

The expansion will include a new hotel tower, added convention space, new restaurants and other amenities that help make Cherokee Casino Resort unique in Oklahoma.

“As Oklahoma’s first casino resort hotel destination, we intend to remain at the forefront of the gaming and entertainment industry in the state,” said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which operates all Cherokee Casinos. “Our innovative ideas and focus on the customer experience have enabled us to give our guests exactly what they want-a beautiful, safe and exciting facility. This massive expansion will most certainly create a unique experience for guests in the Oklahoma market. When we say, ‘Only at Cherokee’ we mean it.”

The Cherokee Casino Resort hotel has been at, or very near, 90 percent occupancy for the past year. To keep up with the demand from both out-of-town and local guests seeking a Las Vegas-style getaway, an additional 14-story hotel tower will be built to house 200 more luxury hotel rooms and suites.

Since opening in the fall of 2004, Cherokee Casino Resort has been a favorite for conferences, meetings, receptions and other gatherings of groups both inside and outside Oklahoma. To better serve those groups and attract more large-scale conventions, Cherokee Casino will dramatically increase convention space.

Cherokee Casino Resort has something to offer for everyone, particularly in the area of live entertainment, so a new multi-purpose entertainment venue will soon take shape. The one-of-a-kind events center will be large enough to host national musical acts, comedy shows and other entertainment, but versatile enough to also showcase sporting events.

Cherokee Casino Resort already boasts a one-of-a-kind Las Vegas-style buffet, the Wild Potato Buffet, as well as an upscale McGill’s steakhouse and three other delicious eateries, but expansion will usher in even more dining choices. Several additional restaurants are planned, both Cherokee Casino originals, as well as outside branded eateries, making the number of dining choices attractive to any food connoisseur.

Seven hundred and fifty of the newest, most popular and unique electronic games will be added to the gaming floor, which currently houses 1,500 e-games and nearly 80 table games for blackjack and poker of all kinds. More table games will certainly be added to complement Cherokee Casino Resort’s poker room, one of the biggest in the Midwest.

An early sign of progress can be seen at the northeast corner of the property, where construction is already underway on a $16 million, 507,000 square foot parking garage. The parking garage, expected to be complete by early summer, will provide an additional 1,400 parking spaces for the additional guests Cherokee Casino Resort is anticipating. Currently, between 65,000 and 70,000 people visit Cherokee Casino Resort every week.

A groundbreaking is scheduled to take place within the next 60 to 90 days, with completion tentatively slated for late 2008.

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 convenience stores, seven retail tobacco shops, two gift shops, two golf courses and three hotels. The company employs more than 3,000 people across all properties and throughout northeast Oklahoma. Those employees receive competitive pay and sound benefits, including full medical and dental insurance as well as 401k matching and flexible spending options. Cherokee Nation Enterprises has contributed millions of dollars to education since the signing of Oklahoma’s State-Tribal Gaming Act of 2004.