There's something new coming to Bok Homa Casino. We explain
Bok Homa Casino, the newest in the Pearl River Resort family, announced Thursday it is expanding.
The casino will feature a dine-in restaurant for up to 60 people and expand its sports betting area, which is currently on the casino floor, according to Michelle York, director of resort operations for Bok Homa.
"It's way overdue," she said.
The expansion is expected to enhance casino guests' experiences and provide better facilities for employees and guests alike, York said.
"It also will benefit the tribal organization that we have," she said.
Among the Choctaw dignitaries attending the announcement was Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben.
"It comes with a lot of excitement," Ben said. "In the aftermath of the pandemic and the challenges we faced, even now it's challenging everyone.
"With that, our goal is to always make forward progress."
The sports betting area will be moved to the new addition, giving the casino room to add more slot machines and expand administrative offices.
The new restaurant will be called Red Creek, which is the English translation of Bok Homa. The red creek also is part of the casino's logo.
Bok Homa Casino opened in December 2010, making it the third casino in the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' portfolio.
York said construction is expected to take about 10 months.
"We are hoping it will be ready by Dec. 20 — our 13th anniversary," she said.
Bok Homa joins the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos, both located at Pearl River Resort in Neshoba County. The Silver Star and Golden Moon also offer hotel stays at the resort.
Bok Homa, which is located in Jones County about 20 miles northeast of Laurel, does not have a hotel on site.
At its opening, Bok Homa housed about 775 slot machines, 200 employees, two electronic blackjack machines, an electronic roulette machine and several video poker kiosks.
In 2015, Bok Homa transitioned from being a slots-only casino to adding table games to its lineup.
Ten tables were introduced for such games as blackjack, Mississippi stud and three-card poker. The addition expanded the casino offerings and led to even more jobs.
Today there are nearly 700 slot machines and eight table games.
York said the casino sees between 1,000 and 3,000 patrons per day and offers a family-friendly environment.
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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Bok Homa Casino announces another expansion
