Chris Boline
While Texas has always prohibited the use of commercial casinos inside of the state, that doesn’t mean that its residents aren’t fired up to hear about new openings that are only a drive away. That’s exactly the case currently, as a massively expanded casino is set to open right near the Texas border, which is sure to draw plenty of folks over to Oklahoma.
Just recently, it was announced that the Choctaw Casino and Resort’s massive expansion is all set to be done and ready for the doors to be open for folks to go and enjoy things. With that said, this isn’t just any kind of expansion. There’s been a massive overhaul of things, with the total cost being right around $600 million. We’re not making that number up.
In even more exciting news for Texas citizens, the new casino and resort are ready to fully open its doors for gamblers to place wagers starting on Aug. 6. With the opening just a couple of weeks away, the Oklahoma resort is bracing for plenty of folks to make the short drive over to get their bets in and have some fun too.
Choctaw is located near the Texas-Oklahoma border and is only 90 minutes away from Dallas. Choctaw is used to seeing countless people make their way over from the big city to enjoy a long weekend or eating, drinking, and most importantly, gambling. The Choctaw owners know just how much the Texas business means to them, which is why they’re ready to welcome so many Texans back to their location.
More than 40 new poker tables have been added for Texas gamblers to enjoy
The new bells and whistles as they say for Choctaw really are head-turning, highlighted with the fact that more than 40 new poker tables have been added for Texas gamblers to enjoy. Not only that, it has been revealed that more than 3,300 slot machines have also been added to the mix. Those two facts alone really are outstanding.
When folks make their way to the resort, they really are going to be impressed with the renovations. What they’ll first notice is the 21-story tower, which features more than 1,000 hotel rooms, plus bars, restaurants, and of course the new poker tables and slot machines. If people from Texas weren’t drawn to make their way over before, that’s surely changed now.
“We have purposely designed our new expansion to appeal to all guests in the nearby states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas by providing an elevated resort-style gaming experience within a short distance from home,” Choctaw assistant general manager Wendy Carter said in a press release sent out by the resort’s PR team.
Again, Texas is incredibly tough with its gambling rules when it comes to casinos. Poker rooms just opened up a couple years back, but countless officials across the state are working overtime to try and prevent more from being developed. With that happening, places like Choctaw are wise to keep adding things to their locations to entice more people to come and visit them.
Are there any legal casinos in the state of Texas?
We know what you might be wondering: are they any legal casinos in the state of Texas? Despite commercial casinos being banned, there actually is one casino open in the state, and that’s the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle. That Native American casino is located in Eagle Pass, Texas, but it only features electronic gaming machines. So no, there are no poker rooms or tables at that casino.
This has been the case for years, with lawmakers being clear that they don’t want commercial casinos to be opened up in the state. With that said, there are countless folks out there who are trying to do their online betting and get their sports odds from somewhere other than online or out-of-state formats. Could things change down the road?
A bill in Texas trying to bring in casinos earlier this year died quickly
It should be noted that there have been several attempts to mix things up in Texas. A bill in Texas trying to bring in casinos earlier this year died quickly, though, as it never made it out of the legislative committees. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, one bill proposed by the Las Vegas Sand Corp. would have pushed for casinos/resorts to open up in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
The thought here was that these casinos/resorts would help bring a massive boom for the economy, as it would have created thousands of jobs. In turn, it would help with local tourism and bring in even more people to those four major cities. This of course would have helped out other local businesses as well, which would have been an added bonus.
“Our commitment is to develop transformational destination resorts that create tens of thousands of jobs and produce billions in revenue for the state while also providing robust economic benefits to the local host communities,” Sands CEO Rob Goldstein said. “Destination resorts have proven to be excellent drivers of economic growth. We’re excited about the possibility of bringing it to the Lone Star State.”
While Goldstein is hopeful of things happening, it could be a while before his dreams of casinos being opened up around Texas come true. For now, folks will have to wait for there to be a big change. Until then, they can head to places like Choctaw for their gambling needs.
