Saracen Casino Resort Opens Long-Awaited 318-Room Hotel in Arkansas
Posted on: June 5, 2026, 08:15h.
Last updated on: June 5, 2026, 09:19h.
- The hotel at Saracen Casino Resort is open
- The 318-room facility was first announced in 2019
- Saracen is one of three casinos in Arkansas, along with Southland and Oaklawn
Saracen Casino Resort in Arkansas is officially open for overnight stays.
Roughly seven years after the Quapaw Nation revealed its casino plan for Pine Bluff, the resort in Arkansas has at long last opened its hotel. The 14-story facility has 318 guestrooms and suites.
Saracen’s casino opened in October 2020 with 1,500 slot machines, 30 table games, a poker room, and the BetSaracen Sportsbook. The venue has four restaurants and bars, highlighted by the award-winning Red Oak Steakhouse.
With the opening of the accompanying hotel, officials with the Oklahoma-based Quapaw Nation believe their investment in Arkansas is secured for the future.
Two hundred years ago, our people ceded this land to the federal government. Today, the Quapaw people are back, building and blossoming in Arkansas,” said Wena Supernaw, chair of the Quapaw Nation Business Committee.
The tribe operates Saracen as a commercial casino. In Oklahoma, the Quapaw owns and operates the Downstream Casino Resort and Quapaw Casino as tribal properties.
Saracen History
In 2018, Arkansas voters passed a statewide ballot referendum to allow four commercial casinos. Issue 4 designated the counties of Crittenden, Garland, Pope, and Jefferson for casinos.
Jefferson County, home to Pine Bluff, partnered with the Quapaw Nation for its casino. The project was successfully presented to the Arkansas Racing Commission in 2019.
The first phase of the development, a $350 million investment, opened the casino and restaurants. The hotel component was initially stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, and redesigns further pushed back construction.
Ground was finally broken in May 2024. Saracen poured another $230 million into the 14-story tower, bringing the total cost of the casino resort destination to more than half a billion dollars.
The $230 million hotel included the 1,600-seat Saracen Event Center. The entertainment venue opened in April and has become a go-to stop for national touring acts.
Upcoming shows include John Legend (June 13), Jeff Foxworthy (July 11), and Flo Rida (July 31).
Arkansas Casino Revenue
In 2025, Arkansas’ three casinos generated gross gaming revenue of $743 million, an all-time high and a 3.1% year-over-year gain. Along with Saracen, Arkansas is home to Southland Casino Hotel in West Memphis and Oaklawn, a Thoroughbred racetrack, casino, and hotel in Hot Springs.
Arkansas’ fourth casino remains in limbo.
A years-long legal battle over who had the right to build the casino in Pope County led to a subsequent ballot question. In November 2024, voters in Pope County chose to repeal the casino license that was authorized in 2018.
The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, which had been ruled to have won the casino license for Russellville, subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging the 2024 referendum.
A district judge upheld the repeal, though the Cherokees further appealed the matter to the 8th US Circuit. The dispute remains ongoing.
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