The Cherokee Nation was said to be mulling over a potential foray into the Las Vegas casino industry. However, the tribe isn’t quite ready yet, according to the chairman of its gambling authority.

The Nation Is Not Ready for Vegas

John Sparks, chair of the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission, explained that the nation isn’t inherently opposed to the idea of tackling Las Vegas’ highly lucrative market but is not committed to any such plans yet.

As a fast-growing tribal operator, the Cherokee Nation has long been expected to show interest in Las Vegas. Sparks, however, refuted these claims at the recent National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS). He explained that, for now, the Cherokees’ Vegas-facing ambitions are just a rumor.

The tribal entity, for context, operates eight casinos in Oklahoma. The nation acquired the Gold Strike Hotel & Casino in Mississippi two years ago and is also pursuing a casino bid in Arkansas. A Vegas property would potentially strengthen the tribe’s gaming portfolio, poising it for further growth.

Sparks refrained from providing any predictions about the tribe’s potential foray into Las Vegas.

Tribal Gaming Has a Limited Presence in Vegas

Should the Cherokee Nation decide to pursue a casino in Las Vegas, it will likely seek a beneficial acquisition deal. According to analysts, however, this could be a major setback to any Vegas-centered plans, considering that at the moment there are no Vegas Strip casinos for sale.

To make matters worse, the economic situation has made casino M&A activity incredibly costly because of the associated high interest rates. While the Federal Reserve could lower borrowing costs, it is uncertain whether this would be enough to revitalize M&A activity within the casino sector.

As of the time of this writing, the only Las Vegas property operated by a tribal entity is Palms Casino Resort, a property near the famed Strip. Mohegan Gaming recently exited the Vegas gaming sector but the Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock brand is set to reopen the Mirage in 2027.

Mirage Hotel & Casino, for context, just closed and is now preparing for its metamorphosis into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.

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The efforts of the leading gaming and hospitality company, Cherokee Nation Entertainment (CNE), toward securing a casino gaming license for Pope County from the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) continue. Earlier this week, the company confirmed it resubmitted its application with the gambling regulator. Ultimately, CNE is after securing a casino gaming license that would permit the development of a massive project called Legends Resort and Casino Arkansas.

CNE’s project has a price tag of more than $300 million. The ambitious project, planned for development in Pope County, is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. At the same time, Legends Resort and Casino is expected to generate $5 billion in economic stimulus to Arkansas for the first decade of operating.

The proposed project is expected to offer a hotel with 200 luxury rooms, as well as additional amenities, including a spa, a pool and spaces that can be used for special events, concerts or meetings. Not unexpectedly, Legends Resort and Casino is expected to offer supreme gaming entertainment with its 50,000-square-foot casino floor. The venue would become a home to a sportsbook, a poker room, as well as nearly three dozen table games and 1,200 of the most popular slot games.

“Legends Resort & Casino Arkansas, operated by Cherokee Nation Entertainment, represents an over $300 million investment that will provide a welcomed economic anchor for Pope County, the River Valley and the state of Arkansas,“

reads a statement released by Cherokee Nation Entertainment

The Company Is Ready to Commence Construction

Mark Fulton, CNE’s president, spoke about the importance of collecting community feedback. He explained that the company’s project is ahead of the competition considering that its team “listened to the community” and also engaged in voluntary work. “Once the casino license is awarded, we expect to commence the 18-month construction process after 60 to 90 days of permitting and pre-construction work,” added Fulton.

Finally, CNE’s president confirmed that the company is ready to meet its obligations under the development agreement with Pope County once the license is awarded.

“For the past five years, we have been laying the groundwork for this one-of-a-kind, shovel-ready commercial casino resort and becoming engrained in the local community.“

Chuck Garrett, CEO at CNE

Chuck Garrett, CNE’s CEO, added that the company is ready to commence the construction of Legends Resort and Casino. He spoke about CNE’s efforts in securing a Large-Scale Development permit from the City of Russellville.

Additionally, Garrett acknowledged the importance of purchasing 325 acres of land and the support for the company from Pope County leaders. Finally, the CEO said that CNE is looking forward to securing the casino license from the Arkansas Racing Commission.

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Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, the economic arm of the federally recognized tribe from Oklahoma, Muscogee Nation, announced an upgrade to the security systems across all its nine US properties via an expansion of its partnership with ZeroEyes.

Deployment across the Entire Organization

Muscogee Nation is deploying ZeroEyes’ artificial intelligence (AI)-based gun detection video analysis platform across its other gaming properties, following the early success of the system registered at River Spirit Casino since its deployment in October.

“After witnessing the power of the technology at River Spirit Casino, we knew that it was only a matter of time before we would deploy it across the entire organization,” said River Spirit Casino’s director of compliance, Travis Thompson.

Highlighting the casino’s primary concern has always been to ensure the safety of patrons and employees, Thompson hailed the critical role played by the system in providing early detection and efficient communication.

Layered on the existing digital cameras at the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises properties, the software provided by ZeroEyes is capable of identifying an illegally brandished gun, reacting by immediately sending an image to a specialized group of US military and law enforcement veterans at one of the in-house ZeroEyes Operation Centers (ZOC).

Situational Awareness and Actionable Response

Between 3 to 5 seconds from detection, the ZOC personnel verifies the threat and dispatches alerts and actionable intelligence to local staff and law enforcement agents, providing them with a visual description, gun details, and last known location.

We prioritize situational awareness as the most effective approach to ensuring safety, and ZeroEyes plays a vital role, empowering our employees to be prepared and ensure that, in the instance of a threat, our patrons are swiftly guided to safety.

Travis Thompson, director of compliance, River Spirit Casino

ZeroEyes’ chief executive officer and co-founder, Mike Lahiff, also commented on the expanded agreement, feeling “honored” to continue supporting the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises’ “mission to enhance the safety and security of its properties.”

It is gratifying to see a company so driven to proactively protect its employees and guests against gun-related violence, and we remain steadfast in our shared goal of saving lives.

Mike Lahiff, CEO & co-founder, ZeroEyes

The Muscogee Nation teamed with ZeroEyes after an extensive shooter training program rolled out at all its nine properties spanning eleven counties in eastern Oklahoma, identified a critical hole in the organization’s emergency response: the lack of means of an early gun detection and actionable intelligence during active shooter incidents.

By the time ZeroEyes’ system was deployed at the Muscogee Nation’s flagship property, River Spirit Casino also hired the services of Oosto, an AI specialist in facial recognition software.

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Gaming and hospitality operator Great Canadian Entertainment announced today it has agreed upon an exclusive partnership with Live Nation Canada that will bring some of the biggest names in music and comedy to its venues in Canada.

Live Music and Comedy Shows

The agreement reached between Great Canadian Entertainment and Live Nation Canada will see the live entertainment company serve as the exclusive booking agent for the events while both partners will promote the programming jointly.

Gavin Whiteley, chief marketing officer of Great Canadian Entertainment, commented on the development, thrilled that Great Canadian partnered with “the premier live entertainment promoter in the world,” Live Nation Canada.

“This partnership will bring some of the biggest and most exciting artists to our exceptional venues, providing guests with unforgettable experiences they will cherish for years to come,” Whiteley said.

Great Canadian Entertainment currently operates 25 gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and is planning on opening the country’s largest casino resort, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, later this year.

The brand-new CA$1 billion ($749 million) casino resort with a 400-room hotel, expanded covered parking, and multiple on-site dining options, will also feature a 5,000-person entertainment venue, The Theatre, where famous musicians and comedians will also perform once the resort opens to the public.

Other venues that will feature through the strategic alliance with Live Nation Canada will be the brand-new The Arena at Pickering Casino Resort, River Rock Casino Resort, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, Molson Canadian Centre at Casino New Brunswick, and The Schooner Showroom at Casino Nova Scotia.

Committed to Elevating Guest Experience

Seeking to elevate the experience at Great Canadian Entertainment’s live venues from coast to coast, the partnership is the latest display of the company’s commitment to delivering world-class entertainment and experiences to its guests across all its casino and hospitality venues.

Leveraging Live Nation Canada’s global presence, vast industry network and relationships with artists and musicians, Great Canadian Entertainment is expecting to raise the bar by offering a wide range of events and the best live experiences nationwide.

One of Great Canadian’s 12 Ontario venues, Casino Woodbine, hit the newswires in April after awarding a massive CA$3.2 million ($2.4 million) progressive jackpot to a Toronto-based solutions contractor and Great Canadian Rewards member, Marcelo Loyola.

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Roc Nation, the service entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z, turned to the people of New York City to promote its bid to build a casino on Times Square.

New Destination Will Benefit Everyone

Roc Nation addressed the public in an open letter on Thursday, seeking to provide details about its bid for a new gaming facility at 1515 Broadway in Times Square that is meant to serve the benefit of New York City.

“A gaming license is going to be awarded to New York City. A bill was passed in the state legislature confirming it. The question is: which applicant will get the license,” the open letter begins, adding that “some conflicted parties have attempted to spread misinformation,” hence the need to address the public directly.

Roc Nation teamed with New York’s largest owner of office properties, SL Green, and casino entertainment company, Caesars Entertainment, at the end of last year to compete for a casino license and build a new tourist destination in the city, Caesars Palace Times Square.

SL Green’s 1515 Broadway office and theater skyscraper will be transformed into an integrated resort featuring a casino, an entertainment venue, shopping outlets, a spa, and a convention and meeting space. The proposal is also supported by a broad coalition of Times Square stakeholders representing labor from construction, restaurants, hotels, small businesses, and theater, as well as local residents.

The winning group must have a track record of turning words into deeds – of putting New York City and its residents first – people of all races, religions, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and socio-economic statuses.

Roc Nation letter excerpt

No Place for Hate and Oppression

Emphasizing that the bid winner should “have a history for fair hiring, representation, and reform,” Roc Nation was also explicitly clear that “hate and groups with a history of oppressing the most vulnerable have no place in New York.”

Determined to ensure that Times Square as an “epicenter of entertainment,” maintains its links “to all facets of culture,” Roc Nation and its partners believe that Times Square is the best location for the new Caesars Palace entertainment destination.

According to the plan, the casino resort will provide billions in tax revenue to New York City and State and will enhance economic activities through strategic partnerships with area businesses.

Estimates show that the venue will generate over 7 million new visits to Times Square annually, resulting in more than 600,000 new overnight visits to local hotels, new over 7 million meals for local restaurants, $166 million in retail spending, and $65 million in new annual Broadway ticket sales.

Roc Nation is adamant that their innovative plan will enhance the lives of everyday New Yorkers by giving back to all surrounding businesses, benefiting mass transits, bringing investments in sanitation and security, delivering a transportation plan, protecting the interests of actors, producers, writers, and staff that are in essence the soul of Broadway, as well as creating opportunities for all.

“Our bid honors the city of dreams, New York City, and the people that have made this place we call home the cultural and entertainment capital of the world,” the letter concluded, urging everyone to support their proposal.

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The owner of casino properties in Salamanca, Buffalo and Niagara Falls, the Seneca Nation, is organizing community support events, urging the public to help the tribe ensure the continued operation of their three casino properties.

Organizing Public Support Events

The Seneca Nation announced it would hold community support events throughout May during which the public would have the opportunity to sign letters to state leaders, encouraging them to come to a new gaming compact with the tribe, reported local news media outlet, Olean Times Herald.

Seneca Nation’s current compact with New York State expires in December and the Nation, which has been engaged in negotiations with state officials for several months, is urging the state to speed up the process and sign a new deal before the end of the State Legislature session on June 8.

Commenting on the initiative, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. outlined that as the work on the state budget is near completion, “no other issue can be more important and impactful… than finishing honest negotiations on a fair and equitable compact with the Seneca Nation.”

The public initiative is set to kick off this Thursday at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and those willing to sign support letters will have four hours between 11 am and 3 pm to do so at the resort’s hotel lobby.

The people of our region understand and appreciate what the Seneca Nation means to Western New York, and we are asking our neighbors and our guests to let New York officials know that they support us.

Rickey Armstrong Sr, President, the Seneca Nation

He further outlined that tens of thousands of individuals, families and businesses, both locally and statewide rely on the Seneca Nation’s businesses for their livelihood and prosperity, further emphasizing “the important difference” these businesses have made for the past 20 years in the lives of their employees, partners, the Seneca people, and the entire region.

Deeply Invested in the Region

The Seneca Nation has invested nearly $2 billion in its three casino properties since signing its compact in 2002 and currently, the casinos provide employment to approximately 3,000 people, making the Nation’s business entity one of the largest private employers in Western New York.

In addition, the Seneca Nation provides more than 5,000 direct jobs and spends nearly $600 million per year indirectly supporting thousands of additional jobs, delivering a total economic impact to the Western New York economy of more than $1.1 billion annually.

“We want to see our positive impact continue well into the future,” Armstrong Sr. added, adamant that “a fair and equitable gaming compact is the key driver for that to happen.”

Starting on Thursday, the support events will continue on Friday at the William Seneca Building in Irving; May 11 at the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo; May 12 at the Seneca Allegany Administration Building; and, May 18 at the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca.

The public is also urged to sign an online petition that will be delivered to state officials together with the support letters at a future date.

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