The Saracen Casino Resort held its grand opening Tuesday in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The casino is part of an overall $350m development. A hotel with spa and an event center is planned for 2021.
Saracen Casino is just the third casino to open in Arkansas. It is the third casino owned by the Quapaw Nation, which also has the Quapaw Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, and the Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, Oklahoma.
The Quapaw Tribe said it has worked with local officials for the past 5 years to bring a casino to Pine Bluff. The tribe added the project is supported by government leaders of both Pine Bluff and Jefferson County.
On June 13, 2019, the Arkansas Racing Commission unanimously approved the casino license sought by the Quapaw Tribe to build a casino in Jefferson County east of the Pine Bluff Mall in Pine Bluff. The groundbreaking for the facility was held August 5, 2019.
The casino is named after Quapaw Chief Saracen, who was buried in Pine Bluff in 1832.
In the November 2018 election, Arkansas voters approved Amendment 3 legalizing casino gambling and authorizing the state to issue casino licenses for the first time ever.
During construction, a temporary casino named Saracen Casino Annex opened Oct. 1, 2019, with 300 slot machines. The permanent casino held a soft opening Oct. 15, 2020. It has an 80,000-square-foot casino floor that holds 2,000 slot machines and 35 table games.
A 300-room hotel with conference center and spa will open adjacent to the casino in 2021. An entertainment venue also is planned for 2021, the tribe said.
