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.