Skores says the Choctaw expansion is driven by demand from Texans. Oklahoma casinos actively advertise in Texas, buying large highway billboards intended to persuade residents to cross the border to gamble. “About two-thirds of its patrons are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and 80% of their patrons are Texans,” Skores said. The facility includes a new sky tower with 1,000 new hotel rooms, six restaurants and 3,300 slot machines.
And it looks like Oklahoma could be setting itself up to gain even more.ĭallas Morning News business reporter Alexandra Skores told Texas Standard that a major expansion to the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma is aimed squarely at attracting North Texans. The lobbying effort didn’t do much to change the rules in Texas. Lobbyists say a lot of the money is going outside of Texas to states like Oklahoma, where casino gambling is legal. Casino gambling is only legal in Texas at a few casinos owned by Native American tribes. During this year’s regular session of the Texas Legislature, members of the casino industry lobbied lawmakers to loosen the state’s rules on gambling.
