Choctaw Casino & Resort-Pocola is getting its biggest makeover in more than a decade, and the Oklahoma gaming property marked the occasion Thursday morning with a ceremonial kickoff for a $140 million expansion and renovation project. More than 200 people showed up for the event, which sets in motion a build expected to take 28 months and wrap up in early 2029.
The project was first announced back in June, when Choctaw Casinos & Resorts laid out plans for a seven-story hotel tower adding 130 new guest rooms, including premium suites, on top of the property's existing 118-room hotel. That existing hotel is getting a refresh too, with new carpet, lighting, bathroom tile and fixtures, and modern furnishings throughout, according to the casino's own announcement.
Thursday's gathering, reported by Talk Business & Politics, confirmed that construction is now officially underway, with Tutor Perini Construction and JCJ Architecture managing the build. The outlet reported the expansion will add those 130 hotel rooms alongside an Emeril Lagasse-branded restaurant, a notable culinary addition for a property perched near the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line.
New Pool, Spa and a Relocated Poker Room
Beyond rooms and dining, the expansion is packed with resort-style upgrades. Plans call for a resort-style pool complete with private cabanas and an outdoor bar, a full-service spa, and a fitness center open around the clock, per the casino's own project announcement. The poker room, off-track betting area and Rewards Club will all relocate to new, upgraded spaces within the property as part of the overhaul.
The scale of the investment echoes a prior chapter in the casino's history. The Choctaw Nation opened an expanded $60 million casino and hotel operation in Pocola in early 2013, and the facility went through a major renovation in 2014 that included an updated casino floor and a new hotel, as previously reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. This latest project is more than double the dollar size of that earlier build.
Jobs and Economic Impact Estimates Vary by Source
Just how many jobs the finished expansion will support depends on which account you read. The same Talk Business & Politics report on Thursday's kickoff put the number at 150 new jobs once construction wraps, while the Poteau Daily News reported a figure of 157 permanent jobs created. The two outlets also diverge on construction-phase employment, with Talk Business & Politics citing 1,050 area jobs supported during the build and the Poteau Daily News putting construction jobs at 1,000.
The economic projections carry real weight for a facility that already employs roughly 850 people at its Pocola operation, the same account notes. Once complete, the Choctaw Nation estimates the expansion will generate $20 million in annual economic impact, with annual payroll at the casino projected to reach $4.8 million. During construction alone, the project is expected to have a $179 million economic impact and an estimated $53.8 million in payroll, figures that underscore how significant this single property has become to the regional economy along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.
A Multi-Year Build Just Getting Started
With Thursday's ceremonial start now behind it, the Choctaw Nation is looking at a long runway before guests see the finished product. The 28-month timeline points to completion in early 2029, meaning visitors to the casino will likely see active construction alongside day-to-day operations for the next couple of years. Earlier reporting from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had initially placed the groundbreaking in the fall, a timeline that lined up closely with Thursday's actual kickoff event.
For now, the casino continues to operate as usual while crews begin work on the new tower and amenities. Whether the final job counts land closer to 150 or 157 positions, or the construction workforce closer to 1,000 or 1,050, the broader picture is clear: Pocola is about to see one of the larger single construction investments in the region's recent history, reshaping a property that has already been rebuilt once before.
