PINE BLUFF, Ark. (AP) — The Quapaw Nation has broken ground on a $350 million casino resort expected to open in Arkansas next year.
The Downstream Development Authority of the Oklahoma-based Quapaw Nation on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony with local and state officials for the Saracen Casino Resort planned in Pine Bluff, which is about 38 miles (60 kilometers) south of Little Rock.
The casino is scheduled to open in June 2020, with its 300-room hotel and entertainment venue opening in December 2020. The casino resort is expected to create 1,100 jobs. Its gambling floor will include more than 2,000 slot machines and 50 table games. A smaller casino annex with 300 slot machines is set to open this October.
Arkansas voters last year approved a constitutional amendment legalizing casino gambling in four counties.