Arkansas: $250 million Saracen Casino Resort expansion nears completion

The $250 million expansion of Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, is now more than halfway complete, with construction expected to finish by fall 2025, officials said to THT11.

The property, owned by the Quapaw Nation, will add a 13-story, 321-room hotel, an 84,000-square-foot event center with seating for 1,600 people, and new retail and hospitality features, including a Starbucks and Sissy’s Log Cabin jewelry store.  

“We are bringing the nicest hotel in Arkansas to Pine Bluff,” said Carton Saffa, Saracen’s chief marketing officer. “If you like what we’ve done with the gaming floor, if you like what we're doing with Red Oaks and award-winning cuisine, you are going to love our hotel.”  

The project, which began last August, has reached 57% completion and is expected to surpass 60% by the end of March, according to officials. The expansion is also expected to boost employment from 800 to over 1,000 jobs.  

Alongside the expansion, Saracen has been advocating for iGaming legislation that would allow online casino games to help fund Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) programs for Arkansas colleges.  

A bill introduced last year by Rep. RJ Hawk (R-Bryant) sought to allow online raffles for NIL funding but barred casino operators from running them. Saracen argued that casinos should operate online raffles, given their existing geolocation technologies for mobile sports betting.  

The initial bill failed, but a revised version HB1634—allowing casino participation—passed the House Rules Committee last week.  

Despite the progress, Saracen remains skeptical of NIL funding through raffles, citing Arkansas Amendment 84, which prohibits raffle proceeds from compensating anyone affiliated with the organization.  

“HB1634 might help raise general funds for universities but cannot support NIL programs because of Amendment 84,” Saffa said.  

Saracen Casino Resort was authorized through Issue 4, a 2018 statewide referendum that allowed casinos in four Arkansas counties. It was named after a French-Quapaw leader who witnessed the removal of native Arkansas tribes in the 1880s.  

Saracen’s push for online gaming has faced opposition from Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, which fears that expanding digital gaming beyond sports betting would hurt casino foot traffic.  

Meanwhile, Southland Casino (West Memphis), owned by Delaware North, and Oaklawn, owned by the Cella family, have continued expanding their operations after transitioning from racinos to full-scale casinos under the 2018 law.