New Choctaw Durant Casino Set to Open
DURANT — As reported by the Sherman Dennison Herald Democrat: On Wednesday night the new Choctaw Casino and Resort will officially open to the public. The gaming Mecca will feature a new
Choctaw Casino and Resort state-of-the-art casino, six food venues (three in the bingo/casino, three new restaurants in the new casino), two gift shops (one in the bingo/casino, one in the new casino, new hotel expansion with an additional 60 rooms, Choctaw Coliseum (an entertainment venue), Choctaw Mercantile (a western store inside the Coliseum), and the Choctaw Covered Outdoor Arena.
The focal point of the new casino is a front facade featuring a lighted and colorful “sky Tower.” The tower was constructed and designed to reflect lights simulating a beacon for traffic coming to the casino.
The new casino adjoins the current Choctaw Inn, which just finished a renovation, adding 60 additional rooms, making a total of 102 rooms. Of the 102 rooms, six were designed as luxurious suites with separate living areas, with two of them having Jacuzzi tubs.
The new 108,844-square-foot casino will house 1,475 gaming machines. Some of the old favorites of the current casino will be present in the new casino, such as Mr. Money Bags, Red Hot Ruby, Wheel of Fortune and Draw Poker. Penny Lane and a separate Highstakes area are two new features on the slot floor.
Choctaw Downs is Choctaw Casino’s off-track betting venue. Choctaw Downs has 100 individual betting areas with plasma televisions inside each carrel. On the front wall there are eight big screen plasma televisions. This area is open seven days a week.
Another feature of the new casino that doesn’t exist in the old bingo/casino is a non-smoking poker room. The poker room will start off with Texas Hold’ Em but will add more games in the near future. The way it is set up is 18 tables with a separate highstakes/tournament room with three tables.
The blackjack area in the new casino has been expanded to 32 tables. The tables will be opened every day having tournaments and specials every week.
Acting on suggestions made by current patrons to have places to dine, the new casino is equipped with three restaurants. The Jackpot Java for Starbucks coffee, soups, salads and sandwiches. Blue Moon Cafe for hamburgers, fries, shakes and a music jukebox. Stargazer Buffet and Restaurant for prime rib, shrimp and other items in a dining room that fits 250 patrons and five private dining rooms.
Center stage is available for local music acts and old favorites who perform at the casino. A few of the acts that have performed at the old casino are Exile, John Anderson, Highway 101 and Roy Clark. The concerts are all free and performed every week.
The old Choctaw Casino & Bingo will stay where it is currently located. Initial plans had the facility earmarked for a museum and then to be made into an even larger bingo, but it will not change and will remain equipped with over 800 gaming machines, 700 seat bingo, three food venues and a gift shop. The change that did take place is the old Choctaw Casino & Bingo will be open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
The Choctaw Coliseum located at the center of the Choctaw Casino Resort Complex opened in 2005. The 128,000 square foot building has hosted rodeos, bull riding, concerts, horse sales, barrel racing, calf roping and outdoor shows. Some of the music stars to appear at the Coliseum have been Reba McEntire, George Jones and Merle Haggard.
Just south of the Eastside Choctaw Travel Plaza is the Choctaw Wellness Center. The center includes an indoor walking track, official-size basketball court, weight room, baseball and softball batting cages and a Jacuzzi and sauna. The Wellness Center is free to Choctaw Casino Resort Hotel guests, Choctaw Tribal Members and Choctaw employees. In the short time the center has been opened, it has a membership of over 2,500.
On the north side of Choctaw Rd., will be the home of the Choctaw R.V. Park. The R.V. Park will have 150 hookups, dump stations and outside cooking grills. A convenience shuttle will bring R.V. guests to and from the Choctaw Casino and Resort.
The Choctaw Outdoor Covered Arena is 128,000 square foot facility which includes 200-plus horse stalls. The primary use of the Arena is to host outdoor rodeos and youth events.
The Choctaw Casino started out in Dec. of 1987 as a $2 million, 1,000 seat bingo facility called “Choctaw Indian Bingo Palace.” It made history on May 29, 1990, when Ruby Allen of Arlington, Texas, won $1 million playing MegaBingo’s checkerboard bingo via satellite.
One hundred percent of the revenues from the casinos are used by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to fund social programs, provide college scholarships and increase economic development. In 1998, Choctaw Casinos helped send 1,000 Choctaw students to college. The Choctaw Inn was completed in 2000 to make Choctaw Casino the first to have its own hotel in the state of Oklahoma.