Wyandotte Nation from Oklahoma to expand Crosswinds Casino & Hotel

The Wyandotte Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe in north eastern part of the US state of Oklahoma, has announced plans to expand its Park City, Kansas-based Crosswinds Casino & Hotel.

The plans to expand the Crosswinds Casino have been announced by the Wyandotte Nation Tribe after the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to allow the tribal nation to play a role in gaming on its reserved territory.

The casino in question was officially opened to the members of the public in 2021. Thus, the plans to expand the facility have surfaced nearly three years after its launch. Initially, the small casino was meant to be only a temporary location.

Billy Friend, the chief of the Wyandotte Nation, said that the tribe wants to expand the gambling-friendly facility as it has a large patch of land specified for the same purpose.

Speaking on the topic, the tribal chief said, “You know our plans are to build a casino resort. We have 10 and a half acres that has been taken in trust for gaming. and then we also have another 100, approximately 125 acres.”

The plans for the larger site were actually delayed due to the State of Kansas’ legal challenge to the federal authorities’ decision of taking the land into trust for gaming.

The tribal chief went on to explain that the planned casino expansion will probably be carried out in three to four phases. The very first phase of the expansion project will bring a full-blown casino with multiple restaurants. It will likely take the tribe nearly two years to complete the first phase of the expansion project.

The land in question was purchased by the federally recognised tribe in 1992, and it has been working on the gaming project since the year of 2006. The tribe is quite confident that the planned expansion of the facility will eventually result in a lot of economic activity in the area, providing a big boost to economic growth of the tribal nation.

Located on the side of I-135 in Park City, Kansas, the Crosswinds Casino & Hotel opened its gates to gaming enthusiasts in March 2021. It is not the only gambling-friendly facility owned by the Wyandotte Nation, as the tribe is also responsible for 7th Street Casino in Kansas City, Lucky Turtle Casino, and River Bend Casino in Wyandotte, Oklahoma.