PAWHUSKA, OK – Officials with Osage Casinos have released renderings and details of a planned new property in Lake of the Ozarks, MO. The property is part of a new entertainment district in Missouri announced last fall by the Osage Nation. The project is expected to be completed in multiple phases with an estimated $60 million investment in the region, bringing new jobs, tourism and revenue for the Lake of the Ozarks community.
“We look forward to collaborative work with the local community and state of Missouri,” said Osage Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. “We will provide positive economic benefits to the Osage people, as well as those who reside on Osage ancestral lands.”
Historically, the Osage Nation once thrived in Missouri with a population of as many as 200,000 members of the Osage Nation at its height. The planned property includes a casino, hotel, meeting space and event center, among other amenities.
“We are thrilled to release these renderings to Osage Nation members in a time when Chief Standing Bear is conducting monumental cultural efforts in our ancestral lands,” said Byron Bighorse, CEO of Osage Casinos. “Our casino has been nationally recognized for providing world-class gaming, and we are excited to bring this opportunity to Lake of the Ozarks.”
Phase 1 of the process includes construction of a casino, sports bar, restaurant, and meeting space. Additionally, it also includes a hotel, which will have general hotel rooms, suites, a fitness and exercise facility, a pool and hot tub, and a pool bar. Phase 1 construction is expected to start upon approval from the Department of Interior. Future amenities include more casino space, additional food and beverage options, meeting space and an event center.
Before 2002, as Indian gaming received federal approval, the Osage Tribal Council created the Osage Tribe Gaming Enterprise Board. This group now provides oversight for the business entity known as Osage Casinos. Today, the Osage Nation uses revenues from the Osage Casinos to fund tribal government and programs, provide for the general welfare of the tribe and its members, promote tribal economic development, support charitable organizations and help fund operations of local government agencies of the Osage Nation.
