"Full house" for Oklahoma casino on opening night

2008-07-07 16:32:11

The Saturday opening of the Downstream Casino Resort in Ottawa County, Oklahoma is likely to be seen as a big success by its operator, the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma.

Sean Harrison, a spokesman for the owner, told the Joplin Globe that several thousand customers turned up to experience the new gaming venue first thing in the morning - and suggested that they could not have made room for any more people if they had tried.

"It's a completely full house," he remarked. "10,000 people in the first hour pretty much speaks for itself."

One man who attended the casino, David Maugans, also indicated to the news provider how busy the resort was.

He said it had taken more than an hour of queuing just to get a parking space at the venue. This was after he had traveled all the way from Kansas.

Another new casino also saw a big attendance on its opening day.

Penn National Gaming's Hollywood Slots at Bangor in Maine attracted approximately 9,000 customers, the Bangor Daily News reports.