Cherokee Casino in Catoosa saying 'goodbye' to bingo

The new Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa is set for its grand opening in November. They may open without the game that started it all, bingo. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Rick Wells explains why bingo

Thursday, June 24th 2004, 11:44 am

By: News On 6

The new Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa is set for its grand opening in November. They may open without the game that started it all, bingo.

News on 6 reporter Rick Wells explains why bingo is going bye bye. Depending on the prizes upwards of a thousand people every night grab their dabbers and head for the Cherokee Casino to play bingo.

The 4th of July will be the last bingo games. They need the space, for the new casino expansion and renovation. Cherokee Nation Enterprises CEO David Stewart: "This is business evolution. It's evolution of the marketplace of gaming in Oklahoma. We're going through a lot of, itâ€™s very dynamic."

At least for now the dynamics favor electronic gaming. So when the new casino resort opens it will open without bingo. But they are still evaluating, a positive vote on the gaming question in November, they say, may give them the kind of stability to re-consider bingo at Catoosa.

They say they're not getting out of the bingo business altogether. They still will play in the Cherokee facilities in Roland and West Siloam Springs. And of course they may bring it back in Catoosa too.