NIGC

United Keetoowah Band enters agreement on disputed casino

Monday, June 11, 2012

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma over its disputed casino.

The tribe has been engaged in gaming in Tahlequah for more than 20 years. The site is within the former Cherokee Reservation but the National Indian Gaming Commission said it wasn't on "Indian land" in a July 2011 decision.

The tribe has now agreed to pay $2 million to the state and to cease operations at the casino if a land-into-trust application isn't approved by July 31. The Bureau of Indian Affairs received the tribe's request last fall.

The Obama administration in November 2011 approved a non-gaming application for the United Keetoowah Band. The Cherokee Nation, however, opposes the UKB's efforts.

The Tulsa World has posted the settlement agreement and other documents.

Get the Story:
Keetoowah to accept conditions for casino (The Muskogee Phoenix 6/8)
Dispute over Tahlequah casino settled by tribe, state of Oklahoma (The Tulsa World 6/9)
Cherokee Nation unhappy with Keetoowah's deal with state (The Tulsa World 6/10)