Oklahoma Governor Wants Bigger Piece of State's Tribal Casino Revenue

Leaders with Oklahoma's powerful Native American tribes are voicing frustration with the state's Republican governor after they say he caught them off guard with plans to force renegotiations for a bigger piece of the billions of dollars tribal casinos generate each year.In an editorial Monday in the Tulsa World, Gov. Kevin Stitt suggested the existing compacts, which call for tribes to pay between 4% and 10% of a casino's net revenue in "exclusivity fees," should be reevaluated now that the gambling industry has matured in Oklahoma."In this case, that means sitting down with our tribal partners to discuss how to bring these 15-year-old compacts to an agreement that reflects market conditions for the gaming industry seen around the nation today," wrote Stitt, who also is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.Casino gambling is a booming industry in Oklahoma, with 130 casinos dotting the state, ranging from gas station annexes to resort-style hotel casinos, many of them in border communities, since voters approved a gambling expansion in 2004.  Continue reading...