KISS has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is a merchandise juggernaut.
KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are planning a casino in Northern Oklahoma. The two rockers broke ground on an I-35 casino called Rock & Brews Casino Resort near Wichita.
Rock & Brews is a nationwide chains of restaurants which Simmons and Stanley partnered on. Now they want to expand that concept into the casino industry. They are breaking ground on the site of the South Wind Casino about 55 miles south of Wichita.
Wichita-Area Casino
Wichita is the closest metropolitan area to the Rock & Brews Casino, and competition is expected to be fierce. The Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane is only 15 miles from Wichita, so the KISS casino is going to need special attractions to compete.
Paul Stanley on the Customer Base
Paul Stanley is not worried about attracting a crowd. His plan is to draw customers not only from the cities of Oklahoma and Kansas, but also from across the United States.
Stanley told The Wichita Eagle, “For our first casino resort and hotel to be here is an honor for us.”
“We’ll be able to pull people in from Tulsa, we’ll be able to pull people in from Wichita, from Oklahoma City, from the surrounding areas, and because Rock & Brews is such a hot up-and-coming phenomenon…we’ll keep pulling in people from all over the state and all over the country.”
Gene Simmons on the Kaw Nation
Flamboyant KISS frontman Gene Simmons sounded a humble tone when discussing the project, saying, “[The] Kaw Nation lives here — it’s their sovereign land. They’re in it making sure that not only their children but their children’s children have enough to feed their families but also everybody in their area.”
“You have no idea how fast this is going to get and how great this is going to be for the surrounding community — for the state of Oklahoma.”
KISS is partnering with the Kaw Nation on the casino. The resort sits on the Kaw Reservation, making Simmons and Stanley’s newest venture a tribal casino. Officials for the Kaw Nation, who lobbied for years for this business, were on hand for the groundbreaking on Thursday.
Erin Kekahbah on the Casino’s Future
Erin Kekahbah of the Kaw Nation teared up during the groundbreaking ceremony. Kekahbah told Matt Riedl of The Wichita Eagle, “It’s going to be the future of our tribe — it’s a proud day. It’s just an unprecedented, exciting time for our future. Not five years from now is all we’re going to be planning for — five generations from now.”
The Kaw Nation is a small tribe of about 3,500 people. In a state dominated by the gaming interests of the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw tribes, the Kaw Nation’s addition might seem like small potatoes.
The Importance of Rocks & Brews to the Kaw Nation
It isn’t to the Kaw Nation’s leaders, though. Kaw Nation chairwoman Jacque Secondine Hensley said at the groundbreaking that the new business venture would give her people the basic materials for a good life.
Secondine Hensley said, “This is a phenomenal opportunity for Kaw Nation. Not only is it going to give jobs to most of our citizens in Kaw Nation…but it will also give us eyeglasses and dentures and college assistance for our tribal citizens.”
Despite the talk of dentures and eyeglasses, the project is ambitious. The Rocks & Brews Casino is going to be the largest casino in Northwest Oklahoma by far. It is going to create 1,000 new jobs for the area, and generate millions upon millions of dollars for the Kaw Nation and their partners.
Febuary 2017 KISS Concert
KISS has a concert planned for February 22 at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tickets go on sale on January 23. All tickets are priced at $139 apiece.
The Joint is an intimate setting, so the tickets provide a solid view for anyone in the audience that night. The concert should help promote the Kaw Nation’s gaming venue and the Rock & Brews franchise, as well.
