Cherokee Casino welcomes patrons to grand new site
Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008
WEST SILOAM SPRINGS, Okla. — The new Cherokee Casino opened for business Monday, replacing the former bingo hall with a more than 200, 000-square-foot gaming area full of flashing lights, sirens and slot machines.
“The old place sure was a far cry from this,” said Mark Smith, 55, of Tontitown. “I feel like I’m not even in the same world anymore.”
The old Cherokee Casino, which began in West Siloam Springs on April 17, 1993, as a bingo hall, evolved over the past 15 years to cover 50, 000 square feet. It never was meant to serve as a casino. Ceilings were low, games and tables were limited, and there was little ventilation. According to Smith and others who frequented the old Cherokee Casino, the facility often filled with smoke, making it difficult to breathe or enjoy the gaming experience.
The first of three phases of the new Cherokee Casino, which has been under construction for 14 months, boasts more than 12, 000 games — from slots to Black Jack, Poker and Craps tables.
There’s a main stage and entertainment area equipped for national music and comedy acts, as well as multiple dining options.
The second phase will include the demolition of the former casino space and addition of a food court. A multi-story, resort-style hotel soon will come out of the ground, completing an estimated $ 75 million entertainment operation that will employ more than 1, 000 area residents, according to the casino Web site, www. cherokeecasino. com.
“Even I have a hard time believing what I’m seeing,” said Melissa Johnson, who started as a bingo entry cashier at the casino in 1995 and now works as a customer service administrator. “It makes me proud for my tribe. I remember when the sign on our door said Bingo Outpost and all we had was bingo and pull tabs.
“ At one time during those first years, things weren’t going well, and they were thinking about turning us into a truck stop. To see what this has become, it’s a major success and something I’m proud to be a part of.”
Even as Cherokee Casino staff and electricians tied up the loose ends with security cameras and equipment Monday morning, people eager to get a glimpse of the new facility were peering through the sliding front doors.
“We went to the old casino a lot, but we never went on weekends because it was so smoky and crowded,” said Siloam Springs resident Cheryl Dorris. “This is so wide open and big. It’s beautiful. It’s like walking into a palace.”
Cherokee Casinos operates six other Oklahoma casinos in Tulsa, Roland, Tahlequah, Fort Gibson, Sallisaw and at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore.
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