Bighorse: “I am proud that we worked together as an enterprise to see this come to fruition”

Osage Casinos recently broke ground on two new casino and hotel properties in Pawhuska and Bartlesville. Plans have been underway for nearly eight years. The Osage Nation applied with the U.S. Interior Department in 2014 to transfer the Bartlesville property into a federal trust for use in gaming, followed by Pawhuska.

“We received approval for both applications last summer and immediately got to work on adjusting the scope of the properties to accommodate today’s construction costs,” said Byron Bighorse, CEO of Osage Casinos. “Demand in both markets continues to rise, and I am proud that we worked together as an enterprise to see this come to fruition.”

In a statement on social media, the tribe thanked its partners and confirmed that completion should commence in the latter stage of next year: “Osage Casinos broke ground on two new properties today in Bartlesville and Pawhuska.  These projects have been in the works for almost eight years and we are grateful to our partners who worked collectively to make this a reality. Expected completion is in the Fall of 2022 but visit our existing locations in the meantime.”

The new venues are intended to relocate and expand the tribe’s current gaming establishments, with local media outlets reporting that plans initially had both facilities being larger, however, the scope of the projects was narrowed due to construction costs.

The planned casino in Pawhuska will be constructed upon a 60-acre plot, and is set to include 250 electronic games, 3,675 square feet of meeting space, a 47-room hotel, Pool and hot tub area, and fitness centre.

The later Bartlesville venue is to be developed on 125 acres, with the tribe saying that it will contain 500 electronic games, 10,560 square feet of meeting space, full-service catering, 86 hotel rooms and 15 suites, a pool and hot tub area, patio, and fitness centre.