In Oklahoma, governor tests power of tribal gambling
Posted October 15, 2019 9:21 pm.
ADA, Okla. — For the last 15 years, casino gambling has been a financial boon for Oklahoma and many of the Native American tribes located there.
Tribal casinos generate more than $2 billion a year, with $139 million going to the state last year to fund education. But the financial windfall has increased more than the tribes’ wealth. It has also brought influence in many towns, where casinos are major employers and tribes fund local services.
The tribes are now locked in a showdown with Oklahoma’s new Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, who has demanded a larger share of casino revenue for the state.
The tribes have refused. Many now question whether even a popular governor now has the clout to challenge the popular support for the tribes.
Sean Murphy, The Associated Press
