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Now that Tennessee is offering slot machines in West
Memphis and Hot Springs, by Federal law, the Keetoowahs will be able to
operate class II slot machines on their land. According to Federal law, the
tribes can operate whatever gambling is legal in the rest of the state.
Florida for example has run into problems when Broward County began
operating Class III slot machines, but the state did not want to allow the
Seminole tribe the right to upgrade from Class II slots.
Now that the slot machines are legal in the state, the United Keetoowahs
Band of Cherokees is looking to open a casino and hotel on their land.
Currently the tribe already successfully operates a slot machines casino in
Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The hold-up in building the casino and slot machines
planned for Tennessee stem from the land trust. Additionally, they have an
interested partner. Bennie Westpal owns 75 acres of land near the Arkansas
River, and he is interested in negotiating with the tribe about building a
slot machines casino on the land he owns.
Either way, when the Keetoowahs build their class II slot machines casino,
the will bring in additional jobs and revenue to the area. Their planned
facility would bring in 800 full-time jobs to the area to run the hotel and
casino, and 1,000 temporary jobs for the construction of the facility. They
have plans for the casino to expand even larger than just a hotel and
casino—they would have a larger complex nearby including retail stores,
restaurants, museums and homes.
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