Bringing Vegas to Oklahoma: The Cherokee Casino

The Cherokee Nation Enterprises owns and operates the Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa, Oklahoma. The 24 hour 95,000 square feet of casino floor has 1,500 electronic gaming machines, 70+ card game tables offering Blackjack Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Texas Hold'em Poker, Seven-card Stud Poker and Omaha Poker.

There are several restaurants for dining, live music at several entertainment venues and a challenging golf course, all while staying in a luxurious suite. The Pizza and Pasta bar has the very best pizza you have ever eaten! For $4.00 you can get one half a large pizza made with heaps of the finest ingredients.

Under construction is a 337,000 square foot addition which will make the Cherokee Casino the largest in the State. The expansion will include a 20 story hotel tower with 350 additional rooms, a Resort Spa, a Convention Center accommodating over 1,000 people, an event and concert area, Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grille", more restaurants, more games, more poker tables and more entertainment venues.

Other facilities

In addition to the Cherokee Casino at Catoosa, the Cherokee Nation Enterprises operates casinos at Roland, West Siloam Springs, Fort Gibson and Tahlequah, two Cherokee Outpost convenience stores, seven Cherokee retail tobacco shops, two gift shops and two golf courses. The Cherokee Nation also owns and operates Will Rogers Downs, a 236 acre horse racetrack just east of Claremore, Oklahoma, with live horse racing venues, simulcast racing, gaming machines and the Dog Iron Saloon featuring live music and dancing, pool table tournaments, darts and foosball. (This is redneck country!)

Gaming entertainment

Monday is Senior Day at the Cherokee Casino with a $5.00 free play and 2 for 1 at the buffet for lunch; that is when we prefer to go play. The evenings are crowded, boisterous and the music is LOUD! Overall our experiences at the Cherokee Casino have been good ones. The games are fun. We do not play poker although special promotions with noted celebrities in the Poker World, like Scotty Nugen draw huge crowds and participants, and pay considerable amounts of money to the winners. There are always promotions going. They love to give away Chevrolet Corvettes and currently have a promotion for a custom built home.

We were there the night they gave away the first Corvette. The man with the winning ticket went forward to be congratulated and the announcer asked how he felt. After a brief pause, the man answered with "Well, now we are about even." The entire Casino roared with laughter! There have been many Corvettes given away since then.

Yes, on a few occasions we have left with more money than we went in with. The saying goes...."It is not the amount you win that is important, but the amount you leave with!" Unlike most couples, we generally share our winnings and just stay and "play". Our rule is.....never go in with more money than we can afford to leave there and never carry "plastic" in with us. We have had a good time and do not feel guilty nor apologize for playing.....it is our "bass boat"! In case you are wondering, the casino is ahead!