Editorial: Oklahoma wants new Class II regulations

Monday, December 18, 2006  

"This being the Christmas season and all, we'll venture a guess as to what state Treasurer Scott Meacham has at or near the top of his holiday wish list: a new set of federal rules for Class II gaming.

The National Indian Gaming Commission has been trying for three years to get new Class II rules implemented. They're not popular with many American Indian tribes, which fear the rules will result in a significant dent in their casino revenue. Implementation of the new rules would require tribes to begin using Class III machines, and right now Oklahoma casinos have more Class II games than any other state, by a wide margin.

A recent study by economist Alan Meisner of The Analysis Group said Class II machines would be slower and more cumbersome under the new rules, and predicted an average revenue drop of 57 percent per machine. The Meisner study also said some tribes might indeed be forced to close casinos.

On the flip side, he predicted the new rules would force tribes to use Class III games exclusively and lead to a payout to the state of $49.6 million to $74.5 million more than the $9.3 million that the state received last year. Through November of this year, the state's share of tribal gaming revenue has totaled about $21.5 million."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Class conscious (The Oklahoman 12/18)
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