Land-Based Jack Parkinson

WinStar World Casino and Resort

Thackerville, OK 73459

Based in Thackerville, Oklahoma, WinStar World Casino and Resort is operated by The Chickasaw Nation.

Facilities

The gaming facilities at WinStar World Casino and Resort are split into nine gaming plazas, each of them with distinct themes. 

These account for 400,000 sq ft of gaming floor space, 10,000 electronic and slot games, 100 games, a 55-table poker room, off-track betting, various high-limit gaming rooms and a 360-seat bingo hall.

Beijing Gaming Plaza

The Beijing Gaming Plaza has electronic games such as slots, poker and table games including, Jackpot Hold ‘Em, Blackjack Match and Dai Bacc.

Cairo Gaming Plaza

The Cairo Gaming Plaza has almost exclusively slot and machine games, although this is also where the Palladium Sports Lounge is located.

London Gaming Plaza

The London Gaming Plaza offers slots and electronic games, table games, two exclusive high-stakes rooms and the Lightning Link Lounge powered by Casino360.

Madrid Gaming Plaza

The Madrid Gaming Plaza only has electronic games, but features a range of restaurant options and Players Club amenities.

New York Gaming Plaza

While the New York Gaming Plaza does offer slot and electronic games, this area’s focus is mainly on the Racers OTB - an off-track betting sportsbook that has simulcasts from races around the world.

Paris Gaming Plaza

Similar to the Madrid Gaming Plaza, this area mainly offers slot games and restaurants.

Rio Gaming Plaza

The Rio Gaming Plaza is a dedicated non-smoking gambling area at WinStar, with clearly marked entrances. Customers are not permitted to partake in any form of smoking while using the slot machines, including vapes.

Rome Gaming Plaza

The Rome Gaming Plaza hosts both electronic games and restaurants.

Vienna Gaming Plaza

The Vienna Gaming Plaza offers a wide variety of gaming experiences including electronic games and slots, table games and high-limit gaming areas. 

History and Renovations

The original WinStar Casino opened in 2003 as a small venue that offered bingo and a small selection of electronic slots. The gaming floor was covered by a heavy-duty tent and operated as two separate plazas; Center Ring and the Mariachi. The first expansion to the WinStar Casino would add the Palace, a third gaming area.

The Chickasaw Nation would open the WinStar Golf Club in 2006, an 18-hole course located next to the casino. This would receive its own renovations and expansions in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

However, the first major casino renovation would start in 2007, which would double the size of the entire facility to 380,000 sq ft. This was also the time when the new London, Paris, Rome, Madrid and Beijing Gaming Plazas were added. To embrace this, the tribe changed the venue name to WinStar World Casino. This year would also see the addition of a hotel tower, which offered 395 rooms and suites.

In 2008, the original Palace, Center Ring and Mariachi areas were renovated into the Vienna, New York and Cairo Gaming Plazas.

Four years later in 2012 the location would see 62,000 sq ft added to the gaming floor, with an additional 56,000 sq ft in 2013. The second respective renovation would also add the Rome Gaming Plaza, Casino 360 and several high-stakes areas. This expansion would also add a second hotel tower with 1,000 rooms.

The venue's current General Manager is Jack Parkinson, according to the company website. 

Tribal Information

WinStar World Casino is operated by the Chickasaw Nation, a federally recognised tribe which is headquartered in Ada, Oklahoma. The Chickasaw people have a culture that can be traced back to 800 CE along the Mississippi River. 

Following the Chickasaw Nation Public Gaming Act of 1994, the Tribe opened The Chickasaw Nation Office of the Gaming Commissioner (CNOGC) on January 24, 1994. This would later be changed to the Chickasaw Gaming Ordinance.

The CNOGC is the primary regulator of all Chickasaw Nation gaming facilities and is responsible for the creation, implementation and compliance enforcement of rules and regulations. It also deals with licensees, locations, entities and patrons.

The current Gaming Commissioner is D Scott Colbert.

Corporate Partners

A partnership with Lucas Oil Products included the naming rights for Winstar’s new 6,500-seated events area, Lucas Oil Live.

In 2019, WinStar World Casino and Resort became the Exclusive Casino of compLexity Gaming, an eSports organisation with teams competing in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Madden and other leagues.

Non-gaming facilities

WinStar World Casino Hotel

The WinStar World Casino Hotel currently offers 1,395 rooms, from Pool Tower King size up to Spa Tower rooms. There are additional rooms off-site at another Chickasaw Nation property, The Inn, with a shuttle ride service provided for customers travelling between this venue and WinStar World Casino.

RV Resort

The Chickasaw Nation also offers an RV resort for guests, called the Fun Town RV Park at WinStar. This site has 156 RV sites over 15 acres and offers both back-in as well as pull-through spaces.

Restaurants 

WinStar World Casino Hotel offers an extensive list of restaurant options. These are generally split between four different styles; fine dining, casual dining, cafes and bars. Examples include Kirby's Prime Steakhouse, Mickey Mantle's, Dallas Cowboys Bar & Grill, Neon Pig and IHOP Express.

Entertainment 

The Lucas Oil Live arena at WinStar World Casino and Resort hosts 6,500 seats, private lounges and exclusive areas. The arena is often used to host music concerts, with award-winning and chart-topping artists playing there.

Golf

The WinStar Golf Club has an 18-hole golf course, designed by former PGA Tour Pro D.A. Weibring. This has had several renovations of its own and offers private golf lessons on the property.

Spa & Fitness Center

Located in the Spa Tower, the WinStar Spa is a two-story spa retreat that offers facials, massages, hydrotherapy, manicures and pedicures.

Company Spotlight

Bragg Gaming

Bragg Gaming Group is a global content-driven iGaming technology provider, serving online and land-based gaming operators with its proprietary and exclusive content and cutting-edge technology.
Virtual Showroom

Supplier

Supplier

Industry Awards

Supplier

Supplier

Supplier

Supplier

Supplier

Supplier

Land-Based

GA Newsletter

Exclusive news, analysis, insights, and interviews delivered straight to your inbox

Dr Anthony Lucas - Casinos over-using free play, research showing its limited impact

Dr Anthony Lucas, Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, speaks to Tim Poole on the Huddle about the paper he released this year on the limitations of free play within land-based casinos. He does, however, understand why gaming executives may not jump to embrace his ideas. We discuss:

Michael Bauer: European operators in US? How about US operators in Europe & LatAm...

Greentube's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Games Officer, Michael Bauer, joins Tim Poole on the Huddle to discuss all things Greentube and all things North America.


Another year approaches its end, as 2024 slowly becomes our past, 2025 the present and a wave of opportunity defines gaming's future. There is an air of change as the regulated gaming world looks to welcome a new entra...

8-10-From-the-top
From the top: Reflecting on the past and looking to the future of land-based casinos
Gaming America reviews the closures of the Mirage Hotel and Casino, as well as the Tropicana, but also keeps an eye on the future with Durango Casino and Resort GM David Horn.
36-41-Oliver-Lovat
Cover Feature: Exploring what might be next for land-based casinos
Nothing is new. Everything is new. Oliver Lovat, regular Gaming America columnist and resident Las Vegas expert, discusses what the next generation of casinos need to succeed, while also reflecting on Vegas' generational shift away from the Tropicana and Mirage.
42-43-Lefosse---Brazilian-Sports-Betting
Steadying the ship in LatAm's largest market
After regulatory limbo, sports betting in Brazil is moving towards legal certainty – by Eduardo Carvalhaes, partner in Public Law and Regulation at Lefosse, and Karen Coutinho, counsel in Public Law and Regulation at Lefosse.
44-45-Lazarus-Legal
Brazilian opportunity: The future of LatAm
Edwin Monzon, Managing Partner of Lazarus Legal, speaks to Gaming America about Brazil's upcoming iGaming and online sports betting regulation, assessing both the prospects and challenges involved.