Choctaws approve second casino

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 9:23 a.m.

Tuesday's vote reached the 40 percent turnout needed to become official, with 1,007 voters choosing not to vote down the resolution and 681 voting in favor of rejecting it.

The resolution was worded so that a "No" vote meant tribal leaders should proceed with plans to construct the $288 million facility tentatively to be named The Golden Moon.

The Tribal Council had approved the second casino by a vote of 10-6 on Sept. 23, 1999, but a petition signed by nearly 1,200 tribal members forced a referendum on the issue.

Golden Moon casino will feature 90,000 square feet of gambling space, a 600-room hotel and an 80-foot-diameter golden globe restaurant atop the building.

The Choctaws already own and operate the 90,000-square-foot Silver Star, the state's only land-based casino. It has been expanded three times since it opened in 1994.

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