Kiowa Casino At Least 60 Days From Opening

RANDLETT, Okla. (AP) Kiowa officials say the opening of the tribe's new casino near Randlett in southern Cotton County is at least 60 days away.<br/><br/>Kiowa Casino Operations Authority Chairman

Tuesday, March 20th 2007, 2:37 pm

By: News On 6

RANDLETT, Okla. (AP) Kiowa officials say the opening of the tribe's new casino near Randlett in southern Cotton County is at least 60 days away.

Kiowa Casino Operations Authority Chairman Lee Rhoades says the delay is the result of work that still needs to be conducted by federal regulators.

The Kiowas have been out of the gaming business since June 2000, when the National Indian Gaming Commission shut down the tribe's casino in Carnegie, citing numerous violations.

The Kiowa Casino near Randlett is nearly finished and is located just north of the Texas state line along Interstate 44. The tribe's gaming arm is in the process of hiring nearly 500 employees to staff the facility.

The 63,000-square-foot casino will feature 975 gaming machines, 20 gaming tables and three casual dining restaurants.