Tribal gaming · Tulsa & Catoosa
It started with high-stakes bingo in 1984. Four decades later, Tulsa's tribal casinos are resort destinations — concert halls, hotels, spas, and gaming floors run by the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and Osage Nations.
Open now
Cherokee Nation
Opened as the Cherokee Bingo Outpost in 1993 and rebranded Hard Rock in 2009. Today it's a full resort — hotel towers, The Joint concert venue, Hard Rock Live, restaurants, and one of the largest gaming floors in the state.
Visit siteMuscogee (Creek) Nation
The Creek Nation's flagship on the Arkansas River, successor to its 1984 bingo hall. The 2016 Margaritaville expansion added a hotel, theater, pool deck, and a Jimmy Buffett–themed casino and restaurant lineup.
Visit siteOsage Nation
Opened in 2005 and the closest casino to downtown Tulsa. A hotel tower, event center, and rebuilt gaming floor make it a go-to for concerts, poker, and a quick night out.
Visit siteMust be 21+ to game (18+ for select areas). Hours, promotions, and entertainment vary — check each property's site.
1984 → today
Casino history in Tulsa begins in November 1984, when the Muscogee (Creek) Nation opened Creek Nation Tulsa Bingo at 81st Street — a high-stakes bingo hall that became the area's first tribal gaming facility.
Four years later, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 gave tribal gaming a national legal framework. The Cherokee Nation followed in 1993 with the Cherokee Bingo Outpost in Catoosa, and the Osage Nation opened Osage Casino in Tulsa in 2005.
The modern era arrived in 2009: Cherokee Nation rebranded its Catoosa property as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, while the Creek Nation replaced its aging 81st and Riverside facilities with River Spirit Casino — expanded again in 2016 with a Margaritaville hotel and casino. Between 2017 and 2019 both properties added gaming floors, spas, convention space, and parking structures.
The long pour
Nov 1984
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation opens Creek Nation Tulsa Bingo at 81st Street — the area's first tribal gaming facility, built around high-stakes bingo.
Oct 1988
President Ronald Reagan signs the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), creating the legal structure for tribal gaming nationwide and opening the door to modern casino development.
Sep 1993
The Cherokee Nation opens the Cherokee Bingo Outpost just east of Tulsa in Catoosa — the property that would eventually grow into a full-scale resort casino.
Summer 2005
The Osage Nation opens Osage Casino in Tulsa, establishing a key gaming and entertainment site close to downtown.
Aug 2009
The Cherokee Nation rebrands its Catoosa property as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa after signing a major licensing deal, adding large-scale entertainment venues and hotel space.
2009–2016
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation replaces its older 81st and Riverside facilities with the state-of-the-art River Spirit Casino, later adding a Margaritaville-themed hotel and casino expansion in 2016.
2017–2019
Both Hard Rock and River Spirit expand again — massive new gaming floors, luxury spas, convention space, and parking structures reshape Tulsa's casino footprint.
Today
Tulsa's tribal casinos operate as major regional economic drivers, funding tribal government services, healthcare, education, and community infrastructure across northeastern Oklahoma.
Beyond the floor
Gaming revenue funds the day-to-day operations and programs of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), and Osage Nations.
Clinics, hospitals, scholarships, and language and cultural programs across northeastern Oklahoma are supported by casino proceeds.
Roads, community facilities, and thousands of jobs make Tulsa's casinos among the region's largest employers and economic drivers.
