Shawnee Tribe plans casino in Panhandle
Ponca City Now - February 20, 2015 7:59 am
MIAMI, Okla. (AP) – The Shawnee Tribe has announced plans to build a casino in the state’s Panhandle.
The Tulsa World reports the 60,000 square-foot Golden Mesa Casino would be located near Guymon on a 107-acre property off Highway 54.
Tribal officials say construction will begin in 2016 and would create 175 jobs with an estimated payroll of about $4 million.
In 2010, the Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected an attempt by the tribe to take land into trust under an equal footing exemption in order to open a $400 million casino in Oklahoma City near Interstate 35.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act also allows tribes to take off-reservation land into trust for gaming purposes if it meets both steps of a two-part determination.
