- Quapaw Nation’s 3rd casino in Arkansas went through a soft launch over the weekend
- The soft launch ran over the weekend, including Friday
- Quapaw’s main gambling resort project will sprawl on 80,000 sq ft, and open by the end of 2020
The third Quapaw Nation casino project in Arkansas had a surprise soft launch on Friday, September 29 ahead of a planned official launch on October 1.
Arkansas’ Third Quapaw Casino Had a Soft Launch on Friday
The tribal Saracen Casino Annex casino had a soft launch on Friday, several days before its planned grand opening on Tuesday, October 1. The Pine Bluff–located property launched at 6 PM local time and invited guests to a fully-functioning bar and 300 slot machines.
With 15,000 square feet of gaming space, the casino constitutes the third property in the state owned by the tribe. The casino is connected to the Saracen Q Store, highlighting the owners’ emphasis on great conversion.
The Friday launch continued five hours and the property was again open on Saturday at 8 AM with the Annex running until 6 PM in the afternoon. On Sunday, September 29, the casino opened at 8 AM and stayed open until midnight.
Quapaw Tribe Happy with the Results
Run and operated by the Quapaw Tribe, the owners were happy with the launch. The property itself is designed as a Las Vegas casino with the hopes that Arkansans newly-regulated industry will gain momentum quickly. No small part in the rapid expansion is the first-come-first-serve mentality that many big brands have about breaking into new gaming markets.
After a state-wide regulatory approval, gaming has become a new economic vertical in the state. The Quapaw Tribe gained an approval for its latest property three months ago with the Arkansas Racing Commissiongiving green light to the project.
Meanwhile, Quapaw Tribe spokesperson Carlton Saffa said that the 300 gaming machines showcased over the weekend were just a glimpse of the main gaming resort. Saffa said that originally, the casino’s soft launch was planned as an invitation-only affair, but later on the company changed their opinion:
We made a decision today we would give a sneak peek to the city. We had intended for tonight to be a soft opening to folks we traded with, that we’d done business with. But then we decided, you know what, folks are so excited so let’s let them all in.
A Full-Scale Project Good for the Economy
The full-scale model will have to wait a bit, however, as the project will sprawl on 80,000 square feet and take until the end of 2020 before it can be announced live.
Meanwhile, the casino has proved an important source for construction jobs for the region. Based on Saffa’s statement, the main gambling resort will generate a total of 1,000 construction jobs before the project is completed.
Overall, the Quapaw Nation invested $240 million into the Pine Bluff property. The other casino properties that Quapaw owns are the Quapaw Casino and the Downstream Casino Resort.