Kiss News

By Katie Barlowe / www.casino.org

A KISS casino will soon allow visitors to rock and roll all night in Oklahoma. Famed members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are teaming up with the Kaw Nation to construct a full-fledged casino on sovereign tribal land in the Sooner State near the Kansas state line along Interstate 35 in the town of Braman.

Gambling on Gambling

Rock & Brews already has more than a dozen restaurant locations throughout the United States and two in Mexico. However, the Kaw Nation property will be the band�s first foray into the casino business.

�This partnership with Rock & Brews will provide the Kaw Nation with the opportunity to again be the prime gaming and entertainment destination in our market,� tribal Chairwoman Jacque Secondine Hensley said.

In 2013, WMS Gaming, a subsidiary of Scientific Games, unveiled a KISS-themed slot machine that was rolled out to numerous gambling floors across the country including 14 casinos in Las Vegas. An interactive free version was later released for online play.

Tribal Agreements

The Rock & Brews Casino, which is scheduled to break ground on January 12, won�t be the first time the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members will have teamed up with a Native American group. Simmons and Stanley already have a restaurant location at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino near San Bernardino, California.

The Kaw Nation casino will be the tribe�s second gambling enterprise. The group currently owns the Southwind Casino in nearby Newkirk, as well as three gas station convenience stores, two smoke shops, and two ice houses. The Nation is also developing a renewable wind energy facility.

The future gambling resort will be built near the tribe�s Kanza Travel Plaza just off Interstate 35. The KISS casino will have plenty of competition, as Native American casinos are littered across the state.

The WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville has 519,000 square feet of gaming space, making it the largest casino in the US. Fortunately for KISS and the Kaw Nation, WinStar is located on the opposite end of the state just north of the Texas border.