Oklahoma tribes shared over $105 million in gaming revenues with the state during fiscal year 2009, The Muskogee Phoenix reports.
The payments represented an increase of 12.7 percent from fiscal year 2008. The numbers have steadily risen since voters approved an expansion of gaming in 2004. "This money benefits all Oklahomans by supporting public education and the horse racing industry across the state," Mark Fulton, the vice president of operations for Cherokee Nation Entertainment, told the paper. The Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation and the Cherokee Nation share the bulk of the payments. Get the Story: