The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally-recognized tribe headquartered in the Perkins area of the Sooner State, has confirmed that it has started constructing its first tribal casino resort in partnership with gaming giant Caesars Entertainment. The casino project in question, called Harrah’s Oklahoma Casino Resort, is being built in Chandler between Oklahoma City and Tulsa along the Interstate 44 (I-44).

It may be noted here that Harrah’s is the brand that Caesars prefers to use for its gaming properties that it operates in partnership with tribal nations. However, there are also commercial Harrah’s gambling-friendly properties in around a dozen states of the nation.

The announcement regarding the Iowa Tribe’s partnership with Caesars Entertainment for the new casino project was made in may this year. Caesars Entertainment will be responsible for running the resort on the tribal nation’s behalf and share its revenues.

Robert Livingston, Senior Vice President (SVP) of Development at Caesars Entertainment, said in a statement that he and his team members were looking forward to bring the Harrah’s brand to a new market.

Speaking on the topic, Livingston said, “We are honored to be selected by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma to help them achieve their goals. We’re looking forward to bringing Harrah’s to a new market.”

Tribal officials told reporters that the new casino resort will be completed in phases. The casino and dining options will be the first to be constructed. The hotel and resort will be built later.

It is also worth noting here that Caesars’ partnership with the Iowa Tribe marks yet another deal of its kind as it is already operating two Harrah’s Cherokee casinos in North Carolina, two Harrah’s casinos in California, and one Harrah’s Ak-Chin in Arizona.

There are more than three dozen federally-recognized tribes in Oklahoma, and the Iowa Tribe is one of them. It mostly operates tribal casinos through Class III state gaming compacts. Like many other tribal nations in the U.S., gaming is the economic lifeline for the Iowa Tribe, which currently owns and operates two gaming properties in the state, viz. the Cimarron Casino in Perkins and the Ioway Casino Resort in Chandler. However, Cimarron and Ioway casinos are small gaming properties, offering just 600 and 250 slot machines, respectively. The new casino will feature at least 1,000 slots and more than a dozen gaming tables in addition to a state-of-the-art hotel with numerous resort amenities.