Prairie Flower Casino is a popular gaming and entertainment destination located on tribal land in Carter Lake, Iowa. The venue is owned and operated by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and it first opened its doors in 2018. Since then, the Tribe has been continuously reinvesting in the property, introducing new amenities and improving its existing offering. Back in October 2022, the Ponca Tribe confirmed the groundbreaking for a 60,000-square-foot expansion of the casino.
The expansion is expected to bring some 600 slot machines, as well as video poker devices and electronic table games. Moreover, the Prairie Flower Casino expansion will bring a sportsbook with a pub, additional dining and retail outlets. The additional area will help the venue grow its gaming floor and the expansion is located on the east side of the current structure.
Initially, the work at the venue was expected to be completed this summer. However, slight delays may push that deadline through the end of the year or early in 2025, as suggested by a report released by the Star Herald. James Centers, a spokesperson for the Ponca Tribe, commented on the topic explaining that the slight delay was the result of issues with the supply chains. Yet, he said that the current delay is marginal adding that “if winter weather holds like it is right now, we could make up some ground.”
“What we’ve seen with supply-chain issues since the pandemic, generally speaking, it’s not terrible to be a few months behind.“
James Centers, spokesperson for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Expansion of the Casino to Gain Further Speed in the Spring
Centers revealed that the steel frame needed for the expansion is already built. Moreover, he added: “They’re using this time before winter really sets in to get that structure in place … with the hopes that when we emerge in spring we can go full steam ahead in terms of completing the expansion.”
Given that the construction works keep up with the current expectations, it is likely Prairie Flower Casino to welcome its first guests of the expanded venue by the end of the year. Centers did not mention if further delays can be expected.
The timeframes gambling operators set when building new venues or completing redesigns are significantly important. This is because delays may result in significant losses or in some cases even impact the future of certain projects. However, this is clearly not the case for Prairie Flower Casino, considering that its expansion is ongoing at the time of writing.