TULSA, Okla. — A $17.5 million investment at River Spirit Casino Resort is going to make 'The Gridiron Sports Bar' the largest sports viewing experience in Oklahoma.
Utilizing an old buffet that didn't reopen after the pandemic, the 14,000 square foot space is being divided into three parts - The Gridiron as the main sports bar, The Locker Room will be a private events or banquet space, and a VIP Lounge exclusive to River Spirit's top-tier-level Players Club Members.
CEO of the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises Pat Crofts told 2 News this plan has been in the works for a few years, as they talked through different ideas for the unused room.
"Oklahoma is really sports-centric state," said Crofts. "Our current sports bars is too small, and so we really need a larger sports viewing area."
The existing sports bar will be rebranded more generically, making the Gridiron the premiere spot on the property.
Some of the features guests will be able to enjoy include a 27-seat center bar, a 53-ft by 14-ft high-resolution LED video wall, two digital Top Golf Swing Suite bays, and a new kitchen. There will be seating for about 157 guests.
"It's going to be a very, very exciting area. It's going to be the place to be when you want to watch any sporting event here in this region," said Crofts.
The existing structure was demolished last month, and the work is planned to be completed by July - just in time for the Paris Summer '24 Olympics.
Although sports betting is not legalized in the state of Oklahoma, it was an influential idea in the background through this planning process.
"Our customers really would like to have sports betting. We get asked about it frequently," said Crofts. "If and when sports betting is legalized in the state, we would certainly, this would be the obvious venue for it to be housed."
The architecture for the project is being led by architectural design firm 'I-5 Design Build' out of Lacey, Wash. Crofts said they have helped put together a number of remodeling projects for the casino in the past and has faith the space will be, if not a replica, incredibly close to the renderings.
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