The
Cherokee Nation plans to install ball and dice games at its casinos thanks to a gaming expansion law, The Tahlequah Daily Press reports.
The games became legal with the signing of
H.B.3375 on April 10. An executive said
three
Cherokee casinos will feature roulette and craps in the coming months.
"It's something the customers are demanding, it will obviously provide some incremental revenue back to the tribes via their casino operations, and then the state and teachers are getting additional funding, as well," Mark Fulton, the CEO of Cherokee Nation Entertainment, told The Daily Press. "I think it's one of those opportunities that came to fruition where all parties actually, truly benefit from it."
The expansion of gaming was an issue during the recent walkout of public school teachers. The
Oklahoma Education Association supported the ball and dice bill with the hopes that it will generate more revenues for the state.
Lawmakers who supported the expansion believe it could bring another $22 million to the state next year. That's on top of the revenues that tribes already share as part of their Class III gaming compacts.
According to the
Oklahoma
Gaming Compliance Unit's latest report, tribes shared $113.9 million in
fiscal year 2017. That was an increase of 1.44 percent from the prior year.
Since 2004, when
voters approved
Class III gaming, tribes have shared more than $1.25 billion with the state.
Read More on the Story:
'Ball-and-dice' games should add revenue for tribes, state
(The Tahlequah Daily Press May 10, 2018)
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