Osage Nation Casino Ponca City

The Osage Nation operates seven casinos in Oklahoma, under the name Osage Casino. The 25th largest tribe in the United States, the people are based on their reservation encompassing Osage County, Oklahoma. It is larger than the U.S. states of Delaware and Rhode Island.^[1]

Osage Casino and Hotel - Ponca City Hotel Ponca City Policies The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation. The Osage Casino in Ponca City became the first of the branch to resume operations, with a limited opening that began Friday. The Osage Casino Hotel Ponca City, 64464 SH 60, had been closed for.

History[edit]

The Osage originally named their casino business as the Osage Million Dollar Elm, changing it to Osage Casino in 2011.^[2] The name referred to the history of the first mineral auctions conducted in 1922 for the Osage Tribe. They took place outside, under what was called the 'Million Dollar Elm' tree, in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. More than $1 million worth of Osage oil leases were auctioned there. Reporters and magazine writers coined the term to convey the excitement and scale of the auction when founders of the world’s greatest oil companies--Frank Phillips and E.W. Marland—came in person to bid on the Osage oil and natural gas leases.^[3]

Osage Casino-Hominy[edit]

Osage Casino, Hominy, located four miles north of Hominy, Oklahoma, opened in 2001 under Osage Nation Gaming. The casino was remodeled and expanded in 2005 to allow for additional electronic gaming devices as well as table games.

Osage Casino-Pawhuska[edit]

Osage Casino, Pawhuska, located at 15th Street and Highway 99 east of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, began operation in June 2003.

Osage Casino-Sand Springs[edit]

Osage Casino-Sand Springs reopened in June 2012 after a total renovation to improve air quality, gaming and comfort for guests.^[4] First opened in July 2004, the 25,000-square-foot casino offers guests more than 600 state-of-the-artelectronic gaming devices, a Player’s Club, food court, bar and lounge, gift shop and parking for 500 vehicles. The casino is located off exit 129th Street, Sand Springs, Oklahoma, 1.5 miles north of Highway 51/64 northwest of Sand Springs.

Osage Casino-Tulsa[edit]

Osage Casino-Tulsa is the gaming and entertainment venue that is closest to downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[5]

Osage Casino-Bartlesville[edit]

Osage Casino, Bartlesville, is located five miles west of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, off County Road 2145; it opened in March 2007.^[6]

Osage Casino Hotel-Skiatook[edit]

Osage Casinos held a groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 26, 2012, to build a 33-room hotel, conference center, convenience store and new 78,000 square-foot casino.^[7] Osage Casino Hotel, Skiatook, Oklahoma, 5591 West Rogers Boulevard, opened December 9, 2013.^[8]

Osage Casino Hotel-Ponca City[edit]

Osage Casino Hotel, Ponca City, Oklahoma, officially reopened December 23, 2013, with a new gaming floor, hotel, restaurant and convenience store. The casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The casino is located off Highway 60 and is the gaming center closest to Ponca City.^[9]

Osage Casino is a Native American casino in Ponca City, Oklahoma owned and operated by the Osage Nation. Originally opened Dec. 23, 2013, the facility features 345 gaming machines.^[10]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'VTO'. Visittheosage.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
2. ^Jones, Lesa (1970-01-01). 'Tulsa World: Tulsa Business & Legal News'. Tulsabusiness.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
3. ^'OHS Publications Division'. Digital.library.okstate.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
4. ^'Osage Casinos completes $9 million renovation to Sand Springs location'. Osage News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
5. ^'International Food Options at Osage Casino in Tulsa'. Gtrnews.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
6. ^'Dining in Bartlesville Restaurants, Cafes, Ethnic Food & More :: Osage Casino's Fresh Market Buffet'. Visitbartlesville.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
7. ^'Osage Casino to break ground on Skiatook hotel and casino Sept. 26'. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
8. ^'New Osage Casinos Open'. Barnsdalltimes.com. 2013-12-10. Retrieved 2016-02-20.
9. ^'Ponca City Osage Casino Hotel opens'. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
10. ^'Osage Casino Hotel TravelOK.com - Oklahoma's Official Travel & Tourism Site'. TravelOK.com. Retrieved 2016-02-20.

External link[edit]

• Media related to Osage Casino at Wikimedia Commons

Photo caption: Osage Casinos to reopen Ponca City location on May 8. Pictured is the Osage Casinos gaming floor in Ponca City in 2015. Osage News File Photo

Osage Casinos will reopen its Ponca City location on Friday after closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Osage Casinos in Tulsa, Sand Springs, Bartlesville, Skiatook, Hominy and Pawhuska will reopen on May 15, but not without new strict health guidelines.

“Properties will reopen with occupancy restriction, only one entrance and exit will be allowed, and security will monitor how many guests are allowed on the floor,” said Byron Bighorse, Osage Casinos CEO. “We will open the gaming floors only when we reopen. We are going to bring our hotels online after we open, and we can determine the demand. No food service at this time but we will offer pre-packaged beverage service. Self-service beverage stations will not be utilized until further notice. We will offer limited alcoholic beverages and we are working through our bar areas to determine safe distancing. No banquets or events until further notice.

“I anticipate these coming back as soon as further public restrictions are lifted. Guests 65 and older will be recommended to shelter in place per the state and CDC recommendations. Guests will enter the facilities at their own risk as this virus is not going away and we will all be on safety protocols until further notice,” he said.

The reopening will be guided by a 13-page 'Health & Sanitation Program' that closely monitors government policy changes, CDC guidelines, government mandates and public health advancements, he said. Casino management will continue to make changes as necessary or appropriate to the protocols as they monitor the casinos.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he will begin phase two of the state’s reopening on May 15. He began phase one of the reopening on April 24. Elderly and vulnerable citizens should still follow safer-at-home guidelines, he said.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, as of May 7, Osage County has seven active cases of COVID-19 and Ponca City has three active cases. Since the pandemic began, eight people have died in Osage County from the virus.

Bighorse said as part of their reopening guidelines, all employees will be required to wear masks until further notice.

“Guests will be strongly encouraged to wear a mask and we will make them available, but we will not ask anyone to leave if they do not wear a mask,” he said. “Every other machine will be turned off to promote social distancing. These are just some high-level protocols that guests will see when they come to the properties.”

He said Osage Casinos officials are working with their regulators, the Osage Nation Gaming Commission, to ensure all compliance requirements are met and maintained.

“It is the mission of the Osage Nation Gaming Commission to protect the integrity of the Osage Nation gaming activities. More specifically, we do that by protecting the assets of the Osage Casinos and the most important assets are the Osage Casinos employees and our guests,” said Elizabeth Hembree, Gaming Commission Executive Director, in a May 7 email. “The Commission has carefully reviewed the Osage Casinos Health & Sanitation Program and it was approved by the Osage Nation Gaming Commission Board on May 6, 2020.”

She said the National Indian Gaming Commission has provided strict guidelines for reopening all Indian gaming facilities in the country and the Osage gaming commission must complete an extensive checklist noting all regulatory and staffing concerns and public health and safety recommendations.

“Other concerns noted in the guidance include the gaming floor, surveillance, security, cage and vault areas,” she said. “The [Osage gaming commission] is working diligently with Osage Casinos to ensure compliance is achieved while safely reopening all gaming properties.”

Osage Casinos Reopening Timeline:

Ponca City to open May 8 with limited hours of 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Tulsa to open May 15 with limited two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Sand Springs to open May 15 with a limit of two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Skiatook to open May 15 with limited two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Bartlesville to open May 15 with one shift working 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with Occupancy restrictions.

Hominy and Pawhuska to open May 15 with one shift working 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with Occupancy restrictions.

Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said most of the Oklahoma tribes are planning to resume operations soon and a few other tribes have already reopened.

“I personally observed at the Otoe Missouri Tribe’s Seven Clans Casino how different operations will be. Every other gaming machine was turned off and all the table games are closed so that people are not sitting next to each other,” Standing Bear said. “Obviously, the amount of revenue to the tribal casinos operating at half capacity leaves the tribes well short of their budgets, but it is a start. Everyone is doing what they can on health precautions. Health and safety will come first, but we have to lessen the economic damage that has been done and will be done for many more months.”

Tribal casino reopenings statewide

As of May 6, below are the reopening dates for tribal casinos statewide. The Tonkawa Tribe and Otoe-Missouria Tribe has partially reopened.

Opened on May 1: Tonkawa Hotel and Casino

Limited opening on May 2: First Council Casino (Otoe-Missouria Tribe)

Opening on May 7: Seven Clans Chilocco Gasino (Otoe-Missouria Tribe)

Tentatively opening on May 11: Absentee Shawnee

Osage Nation Casino Ponca City Ok

Tentatively opening May 15: Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Kaw Nation, Modoc Tribe

Closed through May 15: Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Sac and Fox Nation, Shawnee Tribe, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Wyandotte Nation

No reopening dates announced: Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Delaware Nation, Eastern Shawnee Tribe, Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Iowa Tribe, Kickapoo Tribe, Kiowa Tribe, Otoe-Missouria Tribe's Paradise and Perry casinos, Ottawa Tribe, Peoria Tribe, Quapaw Tribe, Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Tonkawa Tribe's Native Lights Casino and Tonkawa Gasino

Osage Nation Casino Ponca City Weekly

Osage News Reporter Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton contributed to this report.