Point Place Casino expansion to add new hotel, larger gaming floor

SULLIVAN — A new multi-story hotel, a larger gaming floor, and a new restaurant are all part of the Oneida Indian Nation’s more than $50 million expansion of Point Place Casino. The venue is located at 450-452 Route 31 in the Bridgeport area of the town of Sullivan in Madison County. Local elected officials, community leaders, partners in the building trades, and casino employees on Aug. 20 gathered at the casino for a formal groundbreaking ceremony. The Oneida Indian Nation says its investment in the property will also generate more than 200 construction jobs, “grow regional tourism, and create new opportunities for Turning Stone Enterprises team members,” per the announcement. The expansion at Point Place Casino will include a new multi-story hotel with 100 rooms, double the size of the existing gaming floor, add a new restaurant, create a new Perfect Pour Cafe satellite location in the hotel’s lobby, add an event space, and update the Fireside Lounge, doubling its current size and adding a 360-degree view of the wood-burning fireplace with cozy new seating.

“When we built Point Place Casino six years ago, we had a vision for what it could become as an entertainment destination and an economic engine for this community,” Ray Halbritter, Oneida Indian Nation representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO, said in the announcement. “As with everything we do, that vision was guided by the understanding that if you are not growing, you are going backward. That has been our motto across all of our enterprises and the reason we are so committed to constant diversification and growth.” The Oneida Indian Nation says it has made continuous investments in Point Place Casino since its grand opening in 2018. They include two expansions of its gaming floor, the introduction of a sports book, and the creation of the Perfect Pour Cafe. “The expansion of Point Place Casino and adding our first hotel to the town of Sullivan will have a tremendous influence on our town and county,” Town of Sullivan Supervisor Thomas Daviau said. “It will add a new flow of visitors and hundreds of new jobs.” “We’ve been a partner with the Oneida Indian Nation since 1991 when we built the original Turning Stone Resort Casino,” Jeremy Thurston, president of the Hayner Hoyt Corporation, said in the Oneida Nation announcement. “Our relationship with the Oneida Indian Nation has allowed our business to flourish and we are one of so many businesses that reap the benefits of a relationship with the Oneida Indian Nation.”