Choctaw News

Choctaw Nation digs in new gaming & entertainment venue by Broken Bow

Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow, Oklahoma

The development will not be far from Beavers Bend State Park, in Broken Bow.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma broke ground on a new entertainment and resort development in southeastern Oklahoma 175 miles northeast of Dallas. Located in the town of Hochatown, 11 miles north of Broken Bow, it's called Choctaw Landing, and is a $165-million project that will comprise an entire village with entertainment and gaming, as well as more practical amenities such as a grocery store.

This newest gaming property will be near popular vacation destinations Broken Bow Lake and Beavers Bend State Park.

According to a release, the development will sit four stories tall across a 200,000 square-foot footprint, and will feature:

100 hotel rooms
600 slot machines
eight table games
several restaurants and bars
pool
outdoor venue with amphitheater
beer garden
family-friendly game zone

There's more: A 12,000 square-foot mercantile space will open adjacent to the resort, with a fuel station with 24 pumps, three more dining options, and a small grocery store/market. No need to rely on the overpriced though convenient snacks in the mini-fridge.

This part is nice, though: Choctaw Landing is designed to integrate with the surrounding landscape, with a goal to keep as many of the native trees and plants intact as possible.

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton led a groundbreaking on June 14, joined by city officials, tribal council members, and gaming industry professionals.

"One of our focuses is to attract people here into our reservation from a tourism perspective," Batton said at the event, according to a release. "So, it's been growing and hopefully we’ll continue to have people from all over the world come to southeast Oklahoma and get to experience the Choctaw Nation culture that we have here in Choctaw Nation."

This facility will be a little over 100 miles east of Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, one of the largest gambling resorts in the U.S., which recently debuted a new Sky Tower Hotel and a casino. This is not a competition, but it must be noted that Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant is a three-level convention/entertainment venue. Choctaw Landing will have four levels. Just saying.

Choctaw is becoming an increasingly familiar presence in Dallas-Fort Worth. In May 2019, Choctaw became the Official and Exclusive Casino and Resort of the Texas Rangers, and in 2021, the Texas Rangers sold naming rights to Choctaw Casinos & Resorts for the right to name the former Globe Life Field, the old Texas Rangers stadium in Arlington; it's now be called Choctaw Stadium. The naming rights agreement expanded a partnership that the Rangers and Choctaw Casinos & Resorts have had since 2010.

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This week's hot headlines

Deep Ellum bar's closure leads this week's 5 most-read Dallas stories

On Premise

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Editor's note: Two big closures rocked the Dallas restaurant and bar scene this week. There was also an intriguing home for sale on Dallas' ritziest road, a new barbecue joint with an unusual focus, and more. Here's a look back at the top stories of the week. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Those are here.

1. Dallas bar closes after surviving a decade in Deep Ellum. A Dallas bar that opened 10 years ago in Deep Ellum has closed its doors: On Premise, which rode a decade-long wave in the often-turbulent neighborhood, closed on October 31.

2. Authentic upscale Mexican restaurant at Turtle Creek Dallas closes. In major bummer Dallas restaurant news, authentic Mexican restaurant Jalisco Norte has closed: The upscale restaurant and bar at Turtle Creek Village clocked out after seven years.

3. Dallas and Austin are facing the same kind of housing issues. The state’s housing crisis is effectively a new problem for state and local leaders — mainly because, for the longest time, Texas used to be cheap. "YIMBY" activists in Dallas have pushed local leaders, with mixed results, to embrace the idea that the country’s ninth-largest city should make it easier to build homes besides standalone single-family homes on large lots and big apartment buildings.

4. 50s Dallas home for sale on swanky Strait Lane still has pink bathroom. A house on Dallas' Strait Lane that is possibly home to the last '50s-era pink bathroom on the tony thoroughfare is up for sale. The bathroom's days are probably numbered — but maybe in this one case, it's not a bad thing.

5. Barbecue spot Kafi BBQ coming to Irving will be smoking halal Wagyu. A barbecue restaurant with an unusual focus is coming to Irving: Kafi BBQ, which specializes in halal Wagyu beef, will open at 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd. #100, Valley Ranch, in the former Rafikiz Bar and Grill.