PERKINS — The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is planning to construct a casino near Interstate 44 between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and last week, officials announced the tribe is entering a managing partnership with Nevada-based Caesars Entertainment Inc.

Officials say the upcoming Harrah’s branded resort will be built in multiple phases, with a casino to come first and a hotel to be built alongside it later. More details will be released as the budget is finalized, according to officials.

Perri Ahhaitty, chairman for the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, said collaborating with the gambling giant will significantly expand the tribe's reach and operations.

“(Caesars) have a strong track record of partnering with Native American Tribes across the country, making them an easy choice to help us develop a world-class, full-service resort experience,” Ahhaitty said. “This partnership will ensure that the tribe has the economic resources to provide for the health, welfare and safety of our tribal members for years to come.”

Related: What's next for tribal gaming in Oklahoma?

Jake Keyes, owner of Skydance Brewery in Oklahoma City and vice chair of Oklahoma’s Iowa Tribe, said communities in Chandler and Wellston also would stand to benefit greatly from the construction of the resort.

“This project is the result of some very hard work and persistence from our past and present leadership, dating back many years,” Keyes said. “A project of this magnitude is yet another example of the economic value our Oklahoma tribes bring to this state.”

Caesars Entertainment, based in Reno, Nevada, is the largest casino operation in the United States. Since it began in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through various expansions and mergers, including with Harrah's, which it acquired in 2020.

“We are honored to be selected by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma to help them achieve their goals and we’re looking forward to bringing Harrah’s to a new market,” said Robert Livingston, senior vice president of development at Caesars Entertainment. “With properties throughout the Midwest, Harrah’s is the perfect brand fit for Oklahoma.”

More: OKC's Skydance Brewery survived its first year, and emerged as more than just a brewery

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, headquartered in Perkins, is one of two federally recognized Iowa tribes in the country, along with the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska. The state of Iowa also derives its name from the original Ioway people.

The Oklahoma tribe currently owns and operates Cimarron Casino and Ioway Casino, as well as slot machines inside the Iowa Travel Plaza and Mart.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Harrah's casino to be built between OKC and Tulsa, tribe announces