The Citizen Potawatomi Nation has hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new FireLake Casino and FireLake Hotel, opening both just ahead of Family Reunion Festival in June.
Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett, Vice-Chairman Linda Capps, CPN legislators David Barrett and Andy Walters, Grand Hotel and Resort General Manager Joe Garcia and Director of Hotel Operations Alex Koumaris were joined by community leaders from Shawnee to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new FireLake Hotel on Friday, June 20.
“I want to welcome all of you to the newest addition to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s facilities,” Barrett said. “We hope that there’ll be a lot of happiness in this building, and we’re very, very grateful that all of you are here.”
Chairman Barrett offered a special blessing to the facility using sweet grass, cedar, sage and tobacco. He said each of the elements represent an important part of Potawatomi culture.
After a soft opening on Monday, June 23, the new FireLake Casino celebrated its ribbon cutting the morning of Friday, June 27. The casino sits at the corner of Hardesty Road and Gordon Cooper Drive, with the hotel located just west of that, situating both of them near FireLake Discount Foods, FireLake Ballfields, FireLake Arena and FireLake Bowling.
FireLake Hotel offers 126 rooms and will be able to host guests for the many events in the area — including Family Reunion Festival, Fire basketball games, tournaments at the FireLake Softball Fields and the FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival.
“It’s great to expand to this side of town with the ball fields and everything else,” said Koumaris. “It’s exciting. We’ve been talking about it for 12 years.”
Koumaris said he has been part of the project for about eight months and it is fulfilling to see it finally come to fruition.
He’s proud of the teamwork that helped CPN complete the highly anticipated hotel.
“They’ve done a great job. Many of them came from the Grand Hotel and Resort, so I’ve worked with them for years. The best part about opening a hotel, when you see the opening team build camaraderie with each other to get the rooms clean, the rooms stocked, get everything ready before those guests come in. To see them excited about it, it’s great,” Koumaris said.
The new casino replaces FireLake Entertainment Center, which originally opened as a bingo hall in the 1980s. It features around 500 slot machines.
“Casino technology plays a central role in remodels, driving both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction,” Garcia said. “Remodels often serve as an opportunity to integrate the latest innovations in slot machines, security and guest services.”
Garcia said slot machines have been upgraded to interactive displays and server-based platforms that will allow real-time game updates and networked jackpots.
Other improvements include integrated mobile apps and personalized loyalty systems, as well as improved security systems to ensure a safe environment.
‘Casino remodels are no longer just about aesthetics — they are about modernizing the infrastructure to create a more connected, secure and personalized guest experience. Technology not only enhances gameplay but also deepens engagement, streamlines operations and improves security,” Garcia said.
As part of a promotion to celebrate the opening, the casino will also be giving away a Ford Bronco Outer Banks edition courtesy of Seminole Ford. Patrons get one entry for every 100 points they earn between June 27 and Oct. 4. The drawing to determine the winner of the Bronco will be at 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4. The car is on display in the main entrance during the promotion.
With the new casino now open, the former location will be demolished to be used as overflow parking for the many events around the FireLake complex.
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The Citizen Potawatomi Nation has hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new FireLake Casino and FireLake Hotel, opening both just ahead of Family Reunion Festival in June. Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett, Vice-Chairman Linda Capps, CPN legislators David Barrett and Andy Walters, Grand Hotel and Resort General Manager Joe Garcia and Director of Hotel Operations…
The post The Citizen Potawatomi Nation holds ribbon-cutting for FireLake Casino appeared first on G3 Newswire.