Oklahoma Lawmakers Prevent Tribal Casino Agreement
This week in Oklahoma, a legislative committee nixed the gaming agreement the governor had crafted with two local Native American tribes. This is a hurdle for Gov. Kevin Sitt who's been pushing to revamp the state's stance on tribal gaming.
At a hearing on Wednesday, members of the Joint Committee on State Tribal Relations were having reservations about the renegotiated deals. They were worried that more casinos would pop up in Oklahoma County. After airing their concerns, the committee said no to the agreements.
Trevor Pemberton, a spokesperson for the governor, claimed the compacts would have been beneficial for the state since they'd generate more revenue from gaming compared to a previous compact.
Gov. Sitt had sealed the deals with the United Keetoowah Band and the Kialegee Tribal Town back in 2020. The point of these compacts was to provide sports betting (which is usually forbidden in Oklahoma) and allow fresh tribes to open casinos.
Aletropective Tribal Disappointment
The decision left the tribes feeling let down as they'd hoped the casinos would bring a nice economic upturn to their communities.
Joe Bunch, the Cherokee leader of the United Keetoowah Band, voiced his frustration following the hearing. "We're disappointed we couldn't convey our perspective," he said (cited by NonDoc, a local news site). "Today's loss, it hits hard. It hurts, particularly not getting a chance to vocally address these matters."
Sitt maintained that the compacts were a way to help smaller tribes launch casinos. However, only the largest ones currently have that privilege in the state.
"I can't figure out why these guys can't gamble and the others can," Sitt said after the hearing, according to The Oklahoman. "They're federally recognized. I don't think most Oklahomans notice the distinction, and it's baffling to me why we wouldn't let this tribe game if 20 others can in the state."
Legal Action Still Looms
These two agreements rejected on Wednesday were two of the four the governor had negotiated in 2020. The Oklahoma Supreme Court had already shot them down, with court proceedings happening in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Oklahoma's attorney general, Gentner Drummond, has lambasted the governor's handling of the tribal gaming matter and intends to replace the state in the ongoing litigation.
Drummond has slammed the governor for wasting taxpayer money and misrepresenting the state in the lawsuit. The governor, on the other hand, is against Drummond's intervention, and they're still debating the issue through court filings.
The case is brought by the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Citizen Potawatomi, and Choctaw nations against the Interior Department (which controls tribal gaming at the federal level) and other parties.
At the hearing on Wednesday, State Sen. Kay Floyd (D-Oklahoma City) proposed holding off on approving the compacts due to the ongoing legal action, as per KOKH Fox25, a local TV station.
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Source: www.casino.org
