More Than Just OK: WinStar World Casino In Thackerville A Must-Visit

Every month, in addition to writing casino trip reports, the man behind the “Casino Collective” X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages is reviewing a particular property he’s been to, among a list 500 casinos long and counting …

I first started reviewing and writing reports on the casinos I visited long before I moved from Oklahoma to north Texas — a move I made not knowing that the casino in my home state would later become the world’s largest.

WinStar World Casino also marked my beginnings in casino visitation, as it was directly on the route during my routine trips to Dallas-Ft. Worth from Oklahoma City in high school for summer baseball tournaments (with a gambling age of 18). So it only makes sense to make this the first casino I spotlight in this monthly Casino Reports series.

Of all the casinos I’ve visited in my lifetime, WinStar has made the most changes. Originally known as Touso Ishto Gaming Center, this property opened in 1991 in Thackerville, Oklahoma, about 45 minutes north of the DFW Metroplex by the Chickasaw Nation. By 2003, Touso Ishto rebranded to its current name, WinStar.

Although WinStar’s growth has been steady over the years, the 2020s have seen the most rapid expansion there. The most notable additions were a 500-slot non-smoking gaming plaza in 2022 and a brand new hotel tower in 2023. Today the property spans more than 20 acres, including 519,000 square feet of gaming space. 

With the sheer size of the casino at WinStar, there is a little bit (or a lot) of something for everybody. Oklahoma does have a prohibition on sports betting, however — but a sportsbook is the only major thing it’s lacking.

Gaming

At WinStar, you can find 7,500 gaming machines, 99 table games, a 930-seat bingo hall, a 47-table poker room, and an off-track race betting area all contained within the casino floor, comprised of gaming plazas themed after nine cities around the world.

Throughout the possibly hundreds of visits I’ve made to this property, I can confidently say I’ve seen an overwhelming amount of the play on the casino floor centered on slots. WinStar packs in so many slots on the casino floor that if you aren’t on the designated walkways, it can be challenging to get around. It seems like people love the slots here. And with this many gaming machines, needless to say, WinStar features a vast selection.

The table games rules are all fantastic — to make up for the ante charged at each of them in accordance with the state’s gaming compact, which can be a real buzzkill. Those antes are 50 cents a hand at card games and $1 per spin at roulette. To help offset that, craps offers the standard 5x pay, while all blackjack tables pay 3:2 and feature other favorable rules such as double after splitting, re-splitting aces, and dealer stand on soft 17. Again, the only downside is the ante.

Other table games offered at WinStar include Mississippi Stud, roulette, Ultimate Texas Hold’em (UTH), Jackpot Hold’em, Roll-to-Win craps, Three Card Poker (TCP), Dai-Bacc, and baccarat.

My most recent visit here came just last month, on Nov. 21, and limits were set at $1 for Roll-to-Win craps, $5 for Mississippi Stud, $10 for blackjack, roulette, craps, UTH, and TCP, $25 for Dai-Bacc, and $50 for baccarat.

Dining

WinStar’s dining options qualify the resort as a one-stop vacation spot all by itself.

You can find options from fine dining to fast casual. Most notably, WinStar features two steakhouses, including one paying homage to Oklahoma legend Mickey Mantle. 

WinStar also has a buffet, a Dallas Cowboys-themed restaurant, a British-style pub, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, and an Italian kitchen, as well as several other more casual options.

Almost every one of the nine gaming plazas has a large center bar as well.

Other amenities

With the 2023 addition of the Spa Tower at the hotel, WinStar also introduced the Lucas Oil Live entertainment venue, featuring regular concerts showcasing surprisingly big names in entertainment — such as Miranda Lambert, Ron White, ZZ Top, and Rod Stewart.

WinStar is also home to nearly 1,500 hotel rooms and suites, an expansive pool complex, several gift shops and other boutique retail options, a spa, and an 18-hole professional golf course.

Closing thoughts

WinStar is the type of casino where you could comfortably make a long weekend getaway of it without ever having to leave the property. There is something offered for nearly all tastes, and in addition to the casino gaming there are family friendly amenities. 

Moreover, the value is there. At WinStar, there are options for all budgets.

Of the 500 casinos I have visited in my lifetime, WinStar ranks No. 30 on my list of favorites — a tremendous ranking for any casino that charges an ante at the table games.

If you find yourself in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, it’s absolutely worth the 45-minute drive north, just over the Texas state line, to visit the world’s largest casino.

Photos by Mitch Malherbe