Oklahoma: Osage Nation hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony of its new casino-hotel in Pawhuska

On Thursday morning, officials cut the ribbon at the new Osage Casino and Hotel in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The facility features 47 hotel rooms, a full-service restaurant, 259 slot machines, and over 3,000 square feet of event spaces, according to a news release. 

"This new facility in the heart of Osage Nation is a significant point of pride for Osage Casinos," said CEO Kimberly Pearson in a statement, as reported by local news. "We’ve worked hard to provide a high-quality experience and we can’t wait to start welcoming guests."

The Osage Nation broke ground on the casino-hotel project in June 2021, with plans to complete it by the fall of 2022. However, the casino, which has been in the works for nearly 20 years, faced significant challenges due to supply chain disruptions and escalating costs, causing delays in its progress.

"Opening this brand-new casino in our Nation’s capital is an extraordinary accomplishment and couldn’t have come at a better time," said Chief Standing Bear. "The timely completion is part of a long-term plan to respond to the influx of tourists coming to Pawhuska. It’s also a response to the lack of hotels available for our Osage people coming home to visit."

The new gaming and entertainment venue at 1421 John Dahl Ave., just outside downtown Pawhuska, will employ 119 people. Osage Casinos is also planning a grand opening later this year for its new casino property in Bartlesville. 

The Osage Nation operates all of its casinos like a nonprofit. They put all the earned funds back into tribal programs, benefitting healthcare, language preservation, and paying college tuition for Osage citizens. Last year, the tribe's casino brought in nearly $75 million dollars to reinvest in the nation's people.