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This month Indian Gaming magazine visited the newChoctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, owned and

operated by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Located 90-minutes from Dallas, the property recently completed animpressive $300 million expansion. The newly minted resortoffers guests a sweeping casino floor with 110,000 sq. ft. ofgaming space. It also features a luxury hotel, full-service spa,and 60,000 sq. ft. event center, creating an exciting premierdestination.

As we arrived at the property, we were met by James Dry,Guest Service Director. “Choctaw Casino Resort, one of theChoctaw Nation’s seven gaming properties, sets the standardfor luxury in the region,” he explained. This mega resort has330 upscale state-of-the-art rooms, from the Buffalo andexecutive suites to the Miko suite, which shares part of the twotop floors with incredible views of the surrounding plains.“Whether guests come for an indulgent meal, an exciting turnin the casino, or an escape at the spa, our goal is to cater totheir every need.”

The property got its start as a small bingo hall in 1987 andgrew into a temporary Sprung structure in 2004. It thenexpanded into a permanent facility in 2006, including theaddition of a 100-room hotel. Demand from customerscontinued to grow, however, and in 2007 the Choctaw Nationconducted a feasibility study with Klas Robinson and under-took a survey of the site. “We also held focus groups withcustomers to make sure that we built what the guests wanted,”said James. Worth Group was selected for the architectural

planning/design, and Flintco as general contractor. The visionwas to create an iconic design on a grand scale, visible for miles.Building out the property took three years, with in-house financ-ing coming from the Choctaw Nation through gaming revenues.The official grand opening was held on February 9, 2010.

There are many elements of the Choctaw heritage woventhroughout the architecture of the resort. The property’sporte-cochere features a diamond pattern, an importantsymbol to the Choctaw people, and representative of thewestern diamondback rattlesnake. In addition, stickball sticksfrom the Choctaw people’s oldest sport decorate the mainentrance to the resort.

We began our tour of the property at the Buffalo Water Wall,featuring a sacred Native American symbol, the white buffalo.Standing at over seven and a half feet and weighing 1,200pounds, this magnificent crystal buffalo was custom built using1.2 million glass mosaic tiles and required over 5,000 man hoursto complete. The beautiful sculpture and water cascade createa striking centerpiece, with a music show to entertain guests.

Overnight guests of Choctaw Casino Resort feel pamperedfrom the moment they step into one of the spacious rooms orsuites. Custom-made artwork and furnishings make up thedécor, which features luxurious marble, granite and gleamingstainless steel. All rooms include large bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling glass-walled showers, flat-screen televisions andpicturesque window views. Suites include separate dining,seating and entertaining area. The hotel is truly a showpieceof the expansion.

Customer service at Choctaw Casino Resort is of the highestpossible quality. “All 1,700 associates go through an eight-hourtraining program that is entirely focused on customer serviceand what it means to the guest,” James explained. “The goalis for each and every guest to be met with an amazing level ofservice.” Additionally, all department heads go through anextensive training program. If a guest has a question, then any

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Destination: Choctaw Casino ResortDurant, Oklahoma

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

April 2010 Indian Gaming 65

The Buffalo Water Wall is a stunning centerpiece of the hotel lobby.

The casino floor includes a 138 game high limit room where all guestsare welcome.

66 Indian Gaming April 2010

associate, regardless of their department, will go out of theirway to answer it. “Guests aren’t expecting that level of service,and going above and beyond is what makes our service stand out.”

Next we headed to the casino, just a few steps from the hotel.Our first stop was at the VIP Players Club. “Choctaw CasinoResort has over 150,000 players and during our grand-opening month we signed up 18,000 new members,” James said.“We send many of our players club offers through email,which is very cost effective and immediate.” At the PlatinumLounge, an exclusive venue only available to Gold andPlatinum players, the upscale setting is luxurious and a classyplace for players to relax. Not far away is the DiamondbackLounge, which hosts a variety of live music and is a great placeto meet up with friends.

Next we met Tammye Gwin, Senior Director of Gaming.“There are 3,000 new slot machines, in addition to the 1,596at the original resort,” she explained. “Together with our sixother properties, we operate a total of 10,000 gaming machines.”The property strives to keep its casino floor fresh, alwaysbringing in the latest games available on the market andencouraging vendor partners to approach them with newproducts and ideas. “For our players club, each of ourproperties uses Aristocrat’s Oasis 360 system. Next year we’llnetwork all of the properties so it will be easier to keep trackof the guests play.”

The gaming resort’s location is ideal, with the city ofDallas and a population of six million just a short driveaway. “A big percentage of our guests come from Dallas,”Tammye explained. “We have an ongoing busing programto bring guests over from the city, as well as a charterservice to bring in groups from the surrounding area, includ-ing Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Austin. Each year toursand travel continues to grow.”

Though the resort’s goal is to receive AAA’s four-diamondrating at its review, it strives at all times to deliver guests five-

diamond service. Even employees in the many restaurants runby Delaware North, a company that specializes in high-quality food service, go through a training program to ensureseamless guest service.

With the high standards it sets for its employees, the ChoctawNation also meets a high standard in its commitment to them.The resort was named a recipient of the 2008 Secretary ofDefense Freedom Award, one of only fifteen employers to earnthe honor out of 2,199 nominees. The Freedom Award isthe highest recognition given by the U.S. government toemployers for their outstanding support of their employees whoserve in the National Guard or Reserve. “This award was atremendous honor for the Choctaw Nation,” said Tammye.

Our next stop was the expansive slot floor, which houses3,000 of the latest, most exciting games while maintaining aspacious and comfortable feel. The extravagant Slots Galleryhosts a variety of tournaments, as well. The table games pit offers48 tables games, including three-card poker, Let it Ride andMini Baccarat. The casino also includes a Blackjack Terrace anda private, 30-table Poker Lounge located on its own exclusivefloor. At the high-limit area, machine denominations range from$1 to $25. The minimum bet on the table games is $50, witha maximum of $2,000.

The resort offers a wide variety of dining options. Firstwe visited the 1832 Steakhouse, which was named for the yearthe Choctaws came to Oklahoma from Mississippi. Therestaurant seats 150 guests and serves a variety of cuisine, fromAtlantic salmon and signature steaks to slow-roasted primeribs. No expense was spared in designing this elegant andrelaxing steakhouse, where later that evening we enjoyed anincredible dinner.

Next we stopped in at Butterfield’s Buffet, which was namedafter the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail, which ran throughthe area in the late 1850s. The buffet seats 450 people and offers

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1832 Steakhouse provides an intimate dining experience with a widevariety of delicious menu options.

The comfortable atmoshphere of the 30-table poker lounge allowsguests to focus entirely on the game.

April 2010 Indian Gaming 67

a variety of tasty options. Some of the restaurant’s highlightsinclude Tex-Mex, brick-oven pizza, and Southern-style comfortfood. A unique feature is the buffet’s live wok station andMongolian grill, where guests can watch the chefs at work.

Another popular venue is Blue Moon Café, serving classicAmerican fare, like hamburgers and shakes. “There are a totalnine eating options at the property,” said Tammye. “We offersomething for every appetite, including Tomatillos MexicanRestaurant, Jackpot Java, and a food court.”

When casino guests need to take a break from the casinoaction and unwind, there’s no better place than the Red RiverLounge. The décor is very unique and charming, with rusticfurniture and a beautiful aquarium on display. Next on the tourwas the Oka Spa, which means “Rain Spa” in Choctaw. Hereguests can pamper themselves with massages, body treatments,facials, and pedicures. The spa also offers guests its own lineof body lotions and skin products.

Resort guests will also enjoy the Natatorium Pool, a brand-new indoor/outdoor pool area. Large sections of the facility’sglass wall are retractable, allowing the entire space to beopened up. This new area compliments the already impressiveOasis Tropical Pool, which features cabanas and swim-up

beverage service. The pool also hosts “dive-in movies” in theevenings, screening the latest feature films as guests relax andenjoy the water.

In keeping with its mission to provide guests an excitingleisure experience, the resort also added a premier KOARV park as part of its expansion. The facilities include a meet-ing room with 100-plus seating, full kitchen, plasma TV,fireplace, arcade, custom-designed pool and large coveredpatio, open year-round.

We ended our tour at the 60,000 sq. ft. Event Center,where we took in a performance by the band Cheap Trick. Theshow was a lot of fun and the building was packed.

Our stay at the Choctaw Casino Resort was a terrific expe-rience. The décor is stunning and rich in Choctaw culture. Theproperty offers tremendous entertainment value and outstand-ing guest service, catering to guests seeking top notch gamingaction as well as those who just want to get away from it all andrelax. Choctaw Casino Resort is truly a platinum resort desti-nation at the top of the list of growing Choctaw properties. �

For more information about Choctaw Casino Resort, visitwww.choctawcasinos.com.