Saracen Casino Resort
| Saracen Casino Resort | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Location | Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
| Address | 1 Saracen Resort Drive |
| Opening date |
|
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Quapaw Nation |
| Coordinates | 34°12′38.37″N 91°57′53.93″W / 34.2106583°N 91.9649806°W |
| Website | Official website |
Saracen Casino Resort is a casino in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. The first purpose-built casino in Arkansas is owned by the Quapaw Nation, and named for Saracen, a Quapaw chief in the 1800s.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]The first section of the casino, the 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) Saracen Casino Annex and Q-Store, opened in September 2019, and contains 300 slot machines.[4]
A second section, the 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m2) Saracen Casino Resort, opened across the street in 2020, and is built on a former soybean field.[2][5] Saracen Casino Resort cost $350 million to build, employed over 1,000 construction workers, and was the largest construction project in 2020 in Arkansas.[3][6] Saracen Casino Resort has 2,100 slot machines, 30 gaming tables, a poker room, a sportsbook, and eight restaurants, of which four are located in a food court called "The Post".[2][3][5] The casino will employ over 1,100 full-time staff, and artwork at the casino is designed "to pay homage to the Native American and African American cultures".[2][3]
Saracen's 2019 license application included a 300-room hotel with restaurants, lounges, spa, conference center, museum, and cultural center.[1][3] At the time the application was approved, the hotel was expected to have been completed in 2021, and delays led construction to begin in 2023, with completion expected in 2025. The 13-story project will be larger than initially planned, with over 300 rooms, one half to be suites.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Brantley, Max (August 7, 2020). "Saracen Casino in Pine Bluff Adding 800 Jobs". Arkansas Times.
- ^ a b c d "'It's A Dream Come True', Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff Set to Open on October 20". Myarklamiss.com. October 15, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Quapaw Nation Cuts Ribbon on Casino Resort". KARK.com. October 20, 2020.
- ^ Colvin, Eplunus (May 27, 2020). "Saracen Casino on Track for Fall Opening". The Pine Bluff Commercial.
- ^ a b Brinkley, Rhett (October 15, 2020). "Saracen Casino Resort Goes All In On Dining". Arkansas Times.
- ^ "Saracen Casino Resort to Bring 1100 Jobs to Pine Bluff". FOX16. October 15, 2020.
- ^ Tate, Byron (January 11, 2023). "Official: Saracen hotel delayed but in motion". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Saracen Chief Market Officer Carlton Saffa on the Saracen Casino Hotel progress". Deltaplex News. August 25, 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.