An entertainment destination for many North Texans has opened a much anticipated major expansion: Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, has debuted the new Sky Tower Hotel and a casino, expanding its status as a quick getaway destination.

The new hotel is 21 stories tall and has 1,000 rooms, and comes with a collection of new restaurants, lounges, and entertainment options, plus a collection of Choctaw art. Two new pools are rumored to be coming soon.

This expansion has been in the works since 2019, and is the fourth major upgrade at the resort and casino since the property debuted in 2006. It makes it one of the largest gambling resorts in the U.S.

Choctaw Casino & Resort–Durant is a three-level convention/entertainment venue whose amenities include swimming, shopping, dining, and spa, plus The District, an entertainment complex with dining, drinks, bowling lanes, 70-game arcade, and movie theater.

This expansion adds 3,300 additional slot machines, table games, a new poker room, new restaurants, bars, movie theaters and three-acres of swimming pools.

Choctaw is in southeastern Oklahoma, a mere 100 miles from Dallas, and with its combination of casino and other amenities is a popular weekend staycation option. Choctaw also has a number of trails and state parks nearby.

Heidi Grant, Choctaw's Executive Officer of Gaming & Hospitality, says in a statement that the expansion adds modern touches to the resort, with some whimsical touches including art on the ceilings. "Every detail is intentional," Grant says.

They're also hosting a pair of special exhibits in partnership with Coca-Cola:

Find Yourself at Choctaw – a Digital Mosaic Experience. Located in the South Entrance to the Sky Tower, this interactive experience takes photos of participating guests and adds them to a larger-than-life digital mosaic. Guests who submit to photos can find themselves added on August 13-14, August 20-21, and August 27-28. Those who participate get a printout of their photo, access to the digital mosaic made up of all the collected images, and other giveaways.

Live Art Installation
Watch the history of Choctaw Casino & Resort - Durant come to life through the eyes and work of Choctaw artists Steven Paul Judd, Antonia Belindo, Dylan Cavin, D.G. Smalling, and more. Each weekend in August, one artist will host a live art installation where you can watch the artists at work. August 13-14, August 20-21, and August 27-28 in the Sky Tower South Entrance.