"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Two Hundred Tons of Steel

WEST SILOAM SPRINGS, Oklahoma - Two hundred tons of steel arrived this week as Cherokee Casino makes major headway in the construction of its new 240,000 square foot gaming facility. Guests and onlookers will see more visible signs of progress as installation of steel support beams begins on the $83 million expansion project.

“Anticipation is definitely growing for the completion of the new Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “We are humbled and excited at the same time. This facility will offer many more good paying, stable jobs with benefits to the residents of Delaware and Adair Counties and the region, providing our citizens a means of income and stability in their own communities.”

Expected to be complete in late 2008, the expansion prompts the hiring of approximately 600 new employees, more than doubling the current workforce of 450. The new job openings include manager, supervisor, operations and customer service positions in a variety of disciplines. As the opening date nears, Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which operates Cherokee Casinos, will hold career fairs to fill the many new positions. The jobs will include both hourly and salaried positions.

Hourly positions with Cherokee Casinos are included under the Cherokee Nation’s minimum wage law, currently standing at $8.25 per hour. The final increase, expected to take place October 2008, raises minimum pay for Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Nation Enterprises employees to $9 per hour.

Cherokee Nation Enterprises also offers an exceptional compensation and benefits package to all full-time employees, including medical, vision, dental and life insurance, a 401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting, flexible spending accounts and tuition reimbursement.

The new Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs will feature multiple entertainment venues and an expanded gaming floor to house 1,300 new electronic games and nearly 40 poker and table games. The facility will also feature several dining options including a fine dining restaurant, a Las Vegas-style buffet and brand name eateries.

“We are excited to expand this great facility,” said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises. “Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs is a hotspot for northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas, not only in gaming, but entertainment as well. The new expansion will provide our guests a multitude of options including more games with great new promotions, exciting entertainment every week and delicious new dining. This means more excitement for local visitors, but it also draws visitors from all over the region right here to West Siloam Springs.”

Cherokee Nation Enterprises is a wholly owned company of the Cherokee Nation and operates businesses in the retail, gaming, entertainment, hospitality and cultural and tourism sectors. CNE operates casinos in Catoosa, Claremore, Roland, West Siloam Springs, Fort Gibson, Sallisaw and Tahlequah, as well as the Cherokee Travel Plaza, two Cherokee Outpost convenience stores, six retail tobacco shops, three gift shops, two golf courses and three hotels. The company employs more than 3,300 people throughout northeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.

Cherokee Casino West Siloam Springs is located off of U.S. highway 412 and State Highway 59 in West Siloam Springs. For more information, please visit Cherokee Casino or call 800-754-4111.