If casino gambling is your game, then Kay County, Oklahoma is the place for you.
In the last six years, casinos have become a major attraction.
Newkirk, Oklahoma is home to four casinos, while Tonkawa has one. Three are located south of Ponca City and one is located to the east of Ponca City.
In my opinion, the Kaw Southwind Casino located east of Newkirk on North L.A. Cann Road is the best in Kay County.
Operated by the Kaw Tribe, the casino features a wide variety of games, poker and black jack tables, a bingo hall, and a cafe.
The staff is always friendly, and most of the games seem to give you a fighting to chance to win. Rarely do I have a machine chew up my money without at least making me feel like I could win.
This past weekend, I turned $20 into $154. The problem was I did not cash out and leave, so I donated it to another machine.
The casino offers players cards which allows the gambler to earn points which can be redeemed for gaming credits or contest entries.
If you prefer a large casino with an event center and a hotel, then First Council Casino, owned and operated by the Otoe-Missoura Tribe, is the casino for you.
Located nine miles north of Newkirk on Highway 77 near the entrance to the former Chilocco Indian School, the casino recently added a hotel and an event center and has expanded its gaming area.
The casino is hosting concerts nearly every weekend.
I personally have no luck there, but I did witness a friend win a total of $20,000 over a span of three hours on three different machines. Granted two of the wins came on $25 machines.
Next door to First Council is the Lil’ Bit of Paradise casino located inside the Otoe Missouria Travel Plaza. This casino opened around the same time as First Council and is also owned by the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.
The small connivence store casino features 98 machines.
My last visit there was a bust.
The tribe also operates the Paradise Casino located south of Ponca City on Highway 177 and a second travel plaza south of the Paradise Casino.
Paradise features over 500 machines.
This is not a casino I frequent and my luck there is limited.
The Tonkawa Tribe operates two casinos in Kay County.
Native Lights Casino, north of Newkirk on Highway 77 and the Tonkawa Casino west of Ponca City and east of Tonkawa on Allen Drive.
Native Lights features over 600 machines, offers poker and blackjack, and a snack bar and a beverage bar. The Tonkawa Casino features 374 machines, a snack bar and offers black jack and poker.
I have done really good and really bad at both of these casinos.
I do have to credit Native Lights with my biggest gambling win ever, which occurred last month on a Star Spangled Banner machine and later on a Major Bucks machine.
The two wins totaled over $600, which is an accomplishment for me.
I credit the Tonkawa Casino with my biggest win last year, when I hit five Red Hots on the Red Hot machine.
The Ponca Tribe owns and operates Twin Rivers Casino, located in White Eagle, south of Ponca City. The casino opened recently in place of Blue Star Casino that operated in the same location.
I have not gambled at this facility.
The Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino operates a location just east of Ponca City in Osage County on Highway 60 is one of top favorites.
The casino is operated by the Osage Tribe.
Compared to the aforementioned casinos, this one is relatively small, but offers a variety of games and a deli. I have done good and bad here, but I have always found the gambling experience enjoyable. However really smokey.
