Choctaw Casino Resort Pocola Set for $140M Expansion and Renovation in Eastern Oklahoma

The Choctaw Nation has announced a $140 million renovation and expansion of Choctaw Casino & Resort Pocola in Eastern Oklahoma along the Arkansas border.

The third-largest Indian Nation in the United States, with nearly 212,000 tribal members and more than 12,000 employees, the Choctaw Nation says the $140 million allocation will include a full refresh of the current 118-room hotel with new carpet, lighting, bathroom tiles, and modern furnishings.

A new seven-story, 130-room hotel featuring premium suites will be built on the property’s eastern side, and the Pocola casino will be renovated.

“Choctaw has long been a proud part of this region, growing alongside the community and contributing to its vitality and success. As the largest employer in LeFlore County and the second largest resort in the Choctaw Casinos & Resort portfolio, Pocola plays a vital role in driving economic growth and opportunity in this region. This investment will allow us to welcome more guests while delivering an even higher level of hospitality and resort experience,” said Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton.

Choctaw Pocola opened in 1994 as a bingo hall and has since undergone numerous expansions. Today, the casino features approximately 1,700 slot machines, a dozen live dealer table games, a poker room, and a racebook.

Arkansas Concerns Diminish

The Choctaw Nation’s expansion in Pocola comes after the odds continue to lengthen that the Cherokee Nation will prevail in its years-long pursuit to build and operate a casino in Arkansas’ Pope County.

In November 2024, voters in Pope County voted to repeal a casino license that had been granted to the Cherokees after years of legal wrangling in state courts. Pope County had been designated for a casino through a statewide referendum in 2018, though local voters in Pope County were one of only 11 counties out of the 75 in Arkansas that voted against the state legalizing commercial casinos in four counties.

With the Choctaw maintaining a wider regional monopoly in Southwestern Arkansas, as Russellville in Pope County, where the Cherokees sought to build, is less than 70 miles from Pocola, the tribe is investing in further solidifying its business.

The second Pocola casino hotel will be complemented by a resort-style pool complete with private cabanas and an outdoor bar. A full-service spa with “elevated wellness and relaxation experiences,” a coffee and tea bar, and all property restaurants and bars receiving a refresh are among the additional planned undertakings.

A groundbreaking for the $140 million investment will be held later this fall, with more details regarding the project timeline expected.

Border Wars

The Cherokees and Choctaws have long battled over the Fort Smith region.

In 2015, the Cherokees opened the Cherokee Casino and Hotel Roland for $80 million. The smaller Cherokee Roland is less than 10 air miles northwest of Choctaw Pocola.