Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa is the ultimate destination for gaming and entertainment, featuring more than 2,600 electronic games, a popular music venue, and multiple dining options!
While not quite on the same level as Las Vegas, Oklahoma has become quite the gaming destination since casinos were legalized in 2004.
With no fewer than 134 casinos to choose from, including the largest casino in the United States, Oklahoma comes in second only to Nevada when it comes to choices of venue.
Located exclusively on Native American tribal lands across the state, you’ll find plenty of quality entertainment to choose from, including:
Dice and roulette wheels have only recently been legalized and regulated, so they’re still hard to find.
Ready to test your skills and discover if fortune awaits? Here’s my list of the seven best casinos for gambling in Oklahoma.
Sleepy Thackerville, Oklahoma is home to the largest casino in the U.S.—the WinStar World Casino. In operation since gaming was legalized by the State in 2004, Winstar offers more than 500,000 square feet dedicated to the largest collection of electronic games in the world.
The poker room is spacious and has become famous over the years for providing solid gaming action any time of the day or night, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
If you’re bringing your family along or are looking for more of a true vacation experience, you can take advantage of their 1,500 rooms located in 3 tower hotels and the many other attractions, including:
If you’re passing through on a roadtrip across the Southwest, an RV park containing 160 spaces might be more your style.
If you’re looking for a single, one-off Oklahoma casino experience, I recommend the Winstar World Casino as your obvious destination.
Choctaw Casino & Resort—Durant is one of seven properties that are owned and operated by the Choctaw Nation.
The second-largest casino in the state behind only the Winstar World Casino, Choctaw Casino & Resorts—Durant hosts a vibrant gaming scene, no matter what your game of choice may be.
4,300 slot machines are ready for you to test your fortune, including your classic favorites as well as the latest in electronic gaming developments. Progressive, high-stakes, and penny slots are all made available for your gaming enjoyment.
The dedicated poker room has 26 tables that range from low-stakes friendly games to high-stakes for serious poker players looking to test their skills. I recommend this particular venue for poker aficionados because it’s located on a separate floor from the main casino and is well-suited to concentration. Their excellent service staff works hard to make sure you have an exciting experience.
A racebook (horse racing wagers for 18 seperate tracks located across the country) and a wide range of table games complete the outstanding gaming experience.
As a resort, the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts—Durant offers 8 restaurants, approximately 775 hotel rooms, an RV park with 75 spaces, as well as excellent amenities and entertainment in addition to gaming that make it a great place for a vacation or conference, including:
Its location in southwest Oklahoma makes it a convenient choice for gaming enthusiasts from Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Riverwind Casino, located in Norman, OK, is the largest casino in close proximity to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
The Riverwind offers a High Stakes venue that makes it a favorite among those looking for more serious wagers and bigger payouts.
If Texas Hold ’Em or Pot Limit Omaha are your games of choice, the poker room at Riverwind Casino has 17 tables and 153 seats. They also host daily tournaments and promotions designed to increase the excitement of your poker experience, and the payoffs attract players ranging from the casually interested to the most serious around.
The poker room has limited hours, though more than adequate for most players. The poker room is open 9 AM to 3:30 AM Sunday through Thursday, and 9 AM to 4:30 AM Friday and Saturday.
The 100-room Riverwind Hotel offers a comfortable, restful stay in well-appointed rooms just minutes from the gaming action.
I recommend Riverwind also for its impressive country music entertainment and comedy line-ups as well.
If you find yourself in the Oklahoma City area, Riverwind is worth the 30-minute drive south down I-35 to Norman.
A sister property of Riverwind Casino, the 112,000-square-foot Newcastle Casino is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation.
The town of Newcastle is within an hour’s drive of downtown Oklahoma City—it’s an excellent smaller venue for those more focused on the games and stakes, as opposed to the hustle and bustle of the larger resorts like the Winstar World Casino and the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts—Durant.
The 83,000-square-foot gaming floor is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing more than 3,000 electronic games for your wagering entertainment.
Its wide variety of table games include:
As advertised, the Newcastle provides skilled dealers and offers an authentic, no-frills poker and gaming experience in a relaxed and comfortable environment, catering to amateur and professional players alike.
Although the casino has no hotel offering rooms for extended stays on site, it offers a full-service bar and an 82-seat restaurant that serves a wide variety of Southern-style dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Owned and operated by Cherokee Nation Entertainment, a division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, the 170,000-square-foot Cherokee Casino Roland is located near the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line, a 10-minute drive from Ft. Smith, AR on US Interstate 40.
Cherokee Casino Roland is home to an exciting slot selection of over 900 of the latest reel, video reel, and video poker games that offer impressive jackpots and progressive payouts.
Table games include:
One of the main draws for people who visit the Cherokee Casino Roland is the atmosphere. The establishment has a comfortable and enjoyable feel. The experienced dealers and staff that you’ll meet on the casino floor receive great reviews from visitors as well.
If you’re hoping to stay for a few days, the Cherokee Casino Roland has 120 comfortable, non-smoking rooms with a variety of amenities, and there are also 12 suites offering a higher level of luxury.
Opened in 2012, Indigo Sky Casino in Wyandotte, OK, is one of the newer casinos making a splash on the Oklahoma casino scene.
The hotel has 244 rooms, and the casino area hosts more than 1200 electronic games and 12 table games, including No-Limit Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Crazy Pineapple, and variations on classic favorites like Double Deck Pitch Blackjack, Six Deck Shoe Blackjack, WPT Heads Up Hold’em, Four Card Frenzy, and Three Card Prime progressives.
The eight-table poker room is somewhat small, but you’ll find that it’s always active and the atmosphere is enjoyable.
The Indigo Sky Casino also has a 520-seat bingo hall, which provides a sense of nostalgia for the days when bingo was the only form of gambling allowed in the state.
two restaurant-bars, a food court, and 244 comfortably-appointed rooms round out this excellent casino experience.
Located in Tulsa,OK, the River Spirit Casino became home to Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant in 2016.
Approximately 200,000 square feet of gaming space makes River Spirit Casino Resort one of the largest casinos in the state. Their wide selection of electronic games includes more than 3,100 of the most popular, state-of-the-art electronic games, ranging from progressives to electronic poker.
They have a large table game selection that includes:
The poker room has 15 tables and a full-service, professional staff that is attentive and adds to the comfortable-yet-exciting atmosphere.
A variety of bars and restaurants are available to meet your needs, including the popular tropic-themed Margaritaville Restaurant.
Whatever your preferences may be, you’ll be able to find great casinos all over Oklahoma, each one providing its own unique blend of gaming, entertainment, and amenities.
Limiting this list to just seven of my favorites, I’ve no doubt left out places that provide excellent experiences. Feel free to let me know what I’m missing in the comment section.