A lot of people wouldn’t think that the state of Oklahoma would qualify as being considered a major gambling hub, but the state is home to many Indian run casinos, and some very big ones as well. There are four mega casinos here in excess of 200,000 square feet.
Two of these casinos, the WinStar, the world’s second largest casino, and the Chocktaw, are located close to the Texas border and primarily serve the Dallas Metroplex area. Both of Oklahoma’s major cities have a big casino located in them, with the River Spirit in Tulsa, and the Riverwind Casino serving the Oklahoma City area.
The Riverwind Casino is located in Norman, Oklahoma, a city of about 120,000 people, 20 miles from the city center of Oklahoma City. So the Riverwind has Oklahoma City’s metro population of 1.5 million to draw from, so they don’t even need a hotel to make this one of the biggest casinos in the state, although there is a 100 room hotel with 9 suites on hand to accommodate overnight guests.
There are several other casinos in the area, but none of the size to give the Riverwind any serious competition. This is by far the biggest casino in the Oklahoma City area and also is considered to be the best.
The Riverwind opened in 2006 and is owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation. The Chickasaw were one of the five tribes that were relocated to the Indian Territory in the 1830’s during what was known as the Trail of Tears.
The Chickasaw are the thirteenth largest Indian tribe in the country, and one of the most successful. They now own a total of 18 casinos in Oklahoma, with the Riverwind being the largest, and also own several other businesses in the state, and its economic impact is now estimated to be about $14 billion a year.
The Facilities at the Riverwind Casino
The opening of Riverwind was so successful that in 2009, three years after it opened, the 100 room Riverwind Hotel was built alongside it, connected by a sky bridge, to accommodate tourists in the Norman area that also wished to enjoy their impressive casino and other facilities. Norman isn’t quite a resort town, so the locals who come here definitely come to gamble, and there’s plenty of fun at the Riverwind. This place is truly captivating.
Rooms here start at $109 a night, which isn’t exactly the deal you’d get in Las Vegas or Reno, but inns located around big cities can’t subsidize the rooms much as resort cities can, or they would just fill it with regular guests who come to the city for reasons unrelated to gambling. Thus these hotels need to be priced according to the overall market but the hotel here still provides some very nice rooms for the money nonetheless.
The basic rooms come with a great selection of amenities, including premium mattresses, in room safe, iron and ironing board, high-end toiletries, coffee maker, hair dryer, and high-speed internet. Guests even are welcomed with freshly baked cookies upon arrival. A warm atmosphere is noticeable here.
They also offer 9 suites, where you can choose from the two room Junior Suite or the three room Governor Suite, although these suites are booked solid for the next year at the point of this writing. From the reservations, it is evident they should have built more suites but perhaps the hotel might be expanded later to better accommodate those seeking more generous accommodations.
The dining options here aren’t nearly as varied as you would expect to see at a very large casino, but there are lots of local restaurants in Norman that visitors here can select from, and most of the traffic here is local and are thus well acquainted with all of the spots in the vicinity. An evolving culinary scene can be found here.
It’s not that the folks at the Riverwind don’t desire their casino guests to enjoy dining with them though, and this all starts with The Willows Buffet, which remains very popular here. The Willows is an American style buffet with a variety of food options for breakfast, lunch, and supper.
Chips ‘N Ales is the location to get authentic English inspired dishes, featuring hand battered chicken and seafood along with hand cut chips. The Seasons Food Court has 4 assorted choices, including a Burger Playground, a Panda Express serving fast-casual Asian, a Taco Bueno if you’re in the mood for Mexican eats, and Rick’s Café which serves Italian cuisine.
The 1,500 seat Showplace Theatre presents the biggest name acts on the casino circuit, and the more intimate River Lounge also showcases live entertainment, with shows every Friday and Saturday night. There’s also the Riverwind Gift Shop for exploring with a variety of brand name clothing and accessories to be acquired. Creativity thrives here.
There is also 14,000 square feet of meeting area in the main building, plus another 2,000 square feet at the hotel, and they do attract quite a few corporate events here which keeps the hotel bustling and also permits attendees to enjoy some great gambling during their official stays.
The Casino at Riverwind Casino
This is a casino of a very impressive size, boasting 216,000 square feet of gaming space, making it one of the largest casinos in not only Oklahoma but in the United States as well. Even the largest casinos in Las Vegas are not of this size.
Players here are eligible for membership in the Wild Card rewards program they feature, where you can redeem the rewards you earn based upon your play at one of the restaurants on site or at their gift shop.
The casino here features a total of 2,800 electronic gaming machines, and you can enjoy playing them all you want, any time you want, as this is a 24/7 casino. Stakes start at a penny and they have both slots and video poker machines to enjoy. All the hottest games are on hand and there’s also a High Limit area for those who want to play for the real big money.
While most of the action here is at their many slots, Riverwind also has 20 gaming tables for those who prefer the more classical form of casino gambling, featuring such popular games as Blackjack, Baccarat, Three Card Poker, card based Roulette, and Ultimate Texas Holdem.
Stakes run from $5 to $1000 a bet and the table games area is also available 24 hours a day, with the Energy Bar located just a few steps away so that you can easily grab your favorite cocktails while you are enjoying the action at the tables.
The Riverwind Casino Poker Room has 17 poker tables which offer action at both Texas Holdem and Omaha. In spite of the name, it isn’t casino poker that’s offered here, where you play against the house, this poker is the real deal against other players, and there’s lots of that going on here.
Bingo, Keno, and off track betting are also offered here, making this a truly comprehensive gambling experience catering to all tastes and preferences. The Riverwind is certainly the top pick for casinos in Oklahoma City and if you are going to be in the area and like to gamble, this is a place you want to check out.