Photo caption: Osage Casinos to reopen Ponca City location on May 8. Pictured is the Osage Casinos gaming floor in Ponca City in 2015. Osage News File Photo

Osage Casinos will reopen its Ponca City location on Friday after closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Osage Casinos in Tulsa, Sand Springs, Bartlesville, Skiatook, Hominy and Pawhuska will reopen on May 15, but not without new strict health guidelines.

Osage Casino Ponca City, OK Ponca City, OK. 13 people interested. December 10 at 7:22 AM Our Hominy location is now open. Thank you for your. Osage Casino in Ponca City is one of seven Osage Casinos owned and operated by the Osage Nation. The other six are in the Okla homa ci ties of Bartlesville, Hominy, Pawhuska, Sand Springs, Skiatook and Tulsa. Osage Casino Ponca City opened in December 2007. It is located at the intersection of U.S. 60 and City View Road.

“Properties will reopen with occupancy restriction, only one entrance and exit will be allowed, and security will monitor how many guests are allowed on the floor,” said Byron Bighorse, Osage Casinos CEO. “We will open the gaming floors only when we reopen. We are going to bring our hotels online after we open, and we can determine the demand. No food service at this time but we will offer pre-packaged beverage service. Self-service beverage stations will not be utilized until further notice. We will offer limited alcoholic beverages and we are working through our bar areas to determine safe distancing. No banquets or events until further notice.

Tulsa’s Osage Casino will reopen at 10 a.m. On Friday, following the Ponca City location’s reopening that happened May 8. Find out what’s open in the area here. Escape your everyday and experience an unforgettable stay in our all-new Osage Casino Hotels! From the ground up, everything in our hotels was designed with your comfort in mind. Guests will appreciate the thoughtful furnishings and luxury finishes apparent in every room. The artwork, crafted by Osage tribal artists, will transport you. Casino management will continue to make changes as necessary or appropriate to the protocols as they monitor the casinos. Osage Casino encourages guests to wear facemasks when visiting any of their locations. The Ponca City Osage Casino will be open from 10 a.m. To midnight during the week and until 2 a.m. On the weekends.

“I anticipate these coming back as soon as further public restrictions are lifted. Guests 65 and older will be recommended to shelter in place per the state and CDC recommendations. Guests will enter the facilities at their own risk as this virus is not going away and we will all be on safety protocols until further notice,” he said.

The reopening will be guided by a 13-page 'Health & Sanitation Program' that closely monitors government policy changes, CDC guidelines, government mandates and public health advancements, he said. Casino management will continue to make changes as necessary or appropriate to the protocols as they monitor the casinos.

On Wednesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he will begin phase two of the state’s reopening on May 15. He began phase one of the reopening on April 24. Elderly and vulnerable citizens should still follow safer-at-home guidelines, he said.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, as of May 7, Osage County has seven active cases of COVID-19 and Ponca City has three active cases. Since the pandemic began, eight people have died in Osage County from the virus.

Bighorse said as part of their reopening guidelines, all employees will be required to wear masks until further notice.

“Guests will be strongly encouraged to wear a mask and we will make them available, but we will not ask anyone to leave if they do not wear a mask,” he said. “Every other machine will be turned off to promote social distancing. These are just some high-level protocols that guests will see when they come to the properties.”

He said Osage Casinos officials are working with their regulators, the Osage Nation Gaming Commission, to ensure all compliance requirements are met and maintained.

“It is the mission of the Osage Nation Gaming Commission to protect the integrity of the Osage Nation gaming activities. More specifically, we do that by protecting the assets of the Osage Casinos and the most important assets are the Osage Casinos employees and our guests,” said Elizabeth Hembree, Gaming Commission Executive Director, in a May 7 email. “The Commission has carefully reviewed the Osage Casinos Health & Sanitation Program and it was approved by the Osage Nation Gaming Commission Board on May 6, 2020.”

She said the National Indian Gaming Commission has provided strict guidelines for reopening all Indian gaming facilities in the country and the Osage gaming commission must complete an extensive checklist noting all regulatory and staffing concerns and public health and safety recommendations.

“Other concerns noted in the guidance include the gaming floor, surveillance, security, cage and vault areas,” she said. “The [Osage gaming commission] is working diligently with Osage Casinos to ensure compliance is achieved while safely reopening all gaming properties.”

Osage Casinos Reopening Timeline:

Ponca City to open May 8 with limited hours of 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Tulsa to open May 15 with limited two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Sand Springs to open May 15 with a limit of two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Skiatook to open May 15 with limited two shifts working 10 a.m. to midnight and 2 a.m. on weekends with Occupancy restrictions.

Bartlesville to open May 15 with one shift working 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with Occupancy restrictions.

Hominy and Pawhuska to open May 15 with one shift working 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with Occupancy restrictions.

Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said most of the Oklahoma tribes are planning to resume operations soon and a few other tribes have already reopened.

Osage Casino Ponca City Opening

“I personally observed at the Otoe Missouri Tribe’s Seven Clans Casino how different operations will be. Every other gaming machine was turned off and all the table games are closed so that people are not sitting next to each other,” Standing Bear said. “Obviously, the amount of revenue to the tribal casinos operating at half capacity leaves the tribes well short of their budgets, but it is a start. Everyone is doing what they can on health precautions. Health and safety will come first, but we have to lessen the economic damage that has been done and will be done for many more months.”

Tribal casino reopenings statewide

As of May 6, below are the reopening dates for tribal casinos statewide. The Tonkawa Tribe and Otoe-Missouria Tribe has partially reopened.

Opened on May 1: Tonkawa Hotel and Casino

Osage Casino Ponca City Oklahoma

Limited opening on May 2: First Council Casino (Otoe-Missouria Tribe)

Opening on May 7: Seven Clans Chilocco Gasino (Otoe-Missouria Tribe)

Tentatively opening on May 11: Absentee Shawnee

Tentatively opening May 15: Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Kaw Nation, Modoc Tribe

Closed through May 15: Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Sac and Fox Nation, Shawnee Tribe, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, Wyandotte Nation

No reopening dates announced: Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Delaware Nation, Eastern Shawnee Tribe, Fort Sill Apache Tribe, Iowa Tribe, Kickapoo Tribe, Kiowa Tribe, Otoe-Missouria Tribe's Paradise and Perry casinos, Ottawa Tribe, Peoria Tribe, Quapaw Tribe, Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, Tonkawa Tribe's Native Lights Casino and Tonkawa Gasino

Osage News Reporter Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton contributed to this report.

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Osage Casino Ponca City Ok

12375 N. Hwy. 77
Newkirk , OK 74647
580-448-3100

Native Lights Casino is proud to be a member of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce! Owned by the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma, Native Lights strives to be on the cutting edge of gaming while providing excellent customer service and promoting healthy community development. Our casino offers over 500 slot machines, including Red Screen VGT’s, as well as fun promotions. Our event center venue, The Wolf Dance Lounge, has free LIVE entertainment every Saturday night! The Buffalo Grill, our American Fine Dining restaurant, is open Thursdays (5pm-9pm), Fridays and Saturdays (5pm-10pm) and Sundays (5pm-9pm), children are welcome to dine. We look forward to serving our community and continuing to strive for excellence in all that we do!

64464 US Highway 60
Ponca City, OK 74604
580-765-2973

Osage Casino Hotel- Ponca City’s new casino offers guests an unforgettable experience. The Osage level of comfort and service is evident throughout and far exceeds the norm. The casino is open 24/7 and includes a 48-room full-service hotel, including two full suites. The casino is complete with 345 electronic games, and six table games. Dine in at the Salted Fork Casual Restaurant or visit the Copper Tap Pub and Sports Bar with TVs viewable from the entire bar. Osage Casino features a 3,000sq.ft. multi-purpose event center that can be separated into three rooms. Other amenities offered are full-service catering, A/V services and $10 Free Play for event guests. In addition, the hotel includes a fitness center, lounge, climate controlled outdoor pool, hot tub and convenience store. Come visit Oklahoma’s finest boutique hotel and casino.

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Osage Casino Ponca City Ok Menu

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16601 W South Ave
Tonkawa , OK 74653
877-648-2624

There are over 400 reasons to play your favorite electronic games at Tonkawa Hotel and Casino. We make it easy for you to discover your playful nature. We offer excitement with our weekly gaming tournaments, a variety of cash drawings, hot seat giveaways, match play days and much, much more! Tonkawa Casino is conveniently located off I-35 on East Highway 60 at the Ponca City exit. Open 10 am to 2 am, 7 days a week. Plus, receive $5 in Free Play when you sign up for The Club! Membership is FREE and the Benefits are Endless!