Zoe Sharp
The Golden Mesa is among Oklahoma’s most iconic casinos, and it is going to undergo a $70 million expansion. The occasion will be celebrated on the casino’s premises on Friday, September 22.
Owned by the Shawnee Tribe and managed by Global Gaming Solutions, the casino’s location makes it popular among gaming enthusiasts in both Oklahoma and the states neighboring the Oklahoma Panhandle. The expansion will result in the addition of around 400 electronic games to Golden Mesa’s roster of casino products, thanks to the fact that the gambling floor will be twice its current 20,000-square-foot size once constructions are complete. Other major enhancements will include a hotel with 100 rooms, a recreational vehicle (RV) park, and a brand new restaurant.
Golden Mesa has over 600 electronic games currently, while its selection of classic casino products comprises six table games in total. As for the casino’s amenities, a restaurant dubbed The Copper Cantina, along with the Silver Saddle gift shop and the Gold Spur bar, are what guests will find available within the establishment.
Golden Mesa’s opening ceremony was held in 2019, making it the lone casino in the Oklahoma Panhandle at the time, and it continues to be the only land-based gambling establishment in the region. The casino also contributed over 170 job positions to the state. Gambling enthusiasts who reside within this region of Oklahoma, along with those located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas counties that are near the Oklahoma Panhandle, do not have many close locations to choose from when it comes to games of chance. This allows Golden Mesa to essentially dominate the region and entertain a large number of guests.
Oklahoma’s Gambling Industry Has Come a Long Way
While there is a notable scarcity of casinos in the immediate area around Golden Mesa, the state of Oklahoma as a whole is no stranger to gambling establishments. There are currently more than 140 casinos and gaming centers in Oklahoma, making it one of the top states when it comes to brick-and-mortar gambling locations.
The current situation is in a stark contrast to the Oklahoma gambling scene from around two decades ago. Up until 2004, the only form of tribal gambling that was legal within Oklahoma was horse race betting. Years of persistent lobbying and hard work from the state’s tribes, however, resulted in the passing of Senate Bill 1252 in 2004, which legalized the tribal operation of electronic games within Oklahoma.
Now, Oklahoma’s gambling scene continues to see improvements. In addition to the Golden House’s upcoming expansion, a new Osage casino is under construction and set to open this October. The gambling establishment will be the replacement of Pawhuska’s current casino. In addition, the month of May saw the Iowa Tribe’s announcement that a new Harrah’s casino would be constructed between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The casino resort will be run by Caesars Entertainment, and it will house hundreds of slot machines.