Osage Casino sets Aug. 29 grand opening date

It’s been nearly two years since the federally recognized Osage Nation broke ground on its new $150 million flagship, Osage Casino Hotel Tulsa.

According to a Monday report from ABC-affiliated television station KTUL…

The casino that is located at 951 W. 36th St. N in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will host its grand opening on August 29, 2018.

Location is everything:

While the new casino isn’t technically in downtown Tulsa, because it is a short 4 minutes north of the city’s hub, Chief Executive Officer for the Osage Casino, Bryon Bighorse, says they’re calling it a downtown casino.

“We are the closest casino to downtown and you see the expansion of all the construction of all of everything that has happened downtown. We really feel like we are a part of that.”

Resort-style amenities:

The new casino includes resort-style amenities such as a 120,000-gallon luxury outdoor pool, complete with 6,000-square-foot hardscape space for outdoor entertainment. It also showcases a tanning ledge with lounge chairs situated next to a fire pit, 15-person hot tub and poolside bar.

The 74,000 square-foot hotel will house 126 guest rooms and suites along with meeting and event space and a fitness center.

Other amenities include an outdoor deck that overlooks the pool and Osage Hills, a full-scale, on-site brewery, a full-service sports bar and restaurant, café and additional full-service lobby bar.

An eye on continuing progress:

With the proximity of two competing tribes; the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa and the Creek Nation of Oklahoma and its River Spirit Casino Tulsa, Bighorse says they need to keep improving.

“Keeping up expectations for customers. I want to continue to grow this business well for my tribe This is an economic development revenue source for the tribe that is critical.”

The expansion of the decade-old, 47,000 square foot Osage Casino on 36th Street is the fourth renovation of an Osage Nation property since 2011.

At the time of the groundbreaking in 2016, in his address to the Osage Nation Congress’ Commerce and Economic Development Committee in September, Bighorse said the tribe’s seven gaming venues in Oklahoma fund more than 90 percent of the tribal government’s services, with the Tulsa casino accounting for 44 percent of the net income for the entire gaming enterprise.

The new 247,000 square foot casino will be open 24 hours and have more than 1,000 electronic games, 39 high-limit machines, 20 table games and five poker tables.

The Osage Nation owns and operates six other casinos in Oklahoma, including Osage Casino Bartlesville, Osage Casino Hominy, Osage Casino Pawhuska, Osage Casino Ponca City, Osage Casino Sand Springs and Osage Casino Skiatook.