Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association suspends tribes that signed compacts with Gov. Stitt

[TexasTowelie]

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association has suspended the membership of two tribes that signed controversial compacts with Gov. Kevin Stitt, it announced Thursday.

The tribes are the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe.

Comanche Nation Chairman William Nelson Sr. said the tribe was suspended from the OIGA on Wednesday for the remainder of the calendar year.

“This was a difficult decision to make, but it was the correct one,” said Matthew Morgan, Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association chairman. “Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association works best when its membership can speak frankly and with the trust that all members are working together to support our industry as a whole.”

Read more: https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/oklahoma-indian-gaming-association-suspends-tribes-that-signed-compacts-with-gov-stitt/article_3302340d-8265-5312-8388-19c21aca1ebb.html

[Still Sensible]

1. It was simply a Stitt publicity stunt! And those two tribes

fell for it. The governor is a tRumper who wants to run the state like a business (people should run away from anyone that ever says that again).

The governor does not have the authority to sign a compact that calls for gaming that is not legal in the state (he used "sports betting" to entice them). The state attorney general immediately opined that it was not a legal move and the Dept of Interior, which must approve compacts, most certainly would not do so.... unless there was some tRumpfuckery involved.

The rest of the tribes are in a dispute with Stitt, who claimed that the original 2005 compacts with more than 30 tribes, expired on 12/31/19. The tribes believed that with certain circumstances--(or trigger events)--which they claim were met, that the compacts renewed automatically for another 15 year term.

Stitt's admitted goal includes bringing big commercial gaming to the state or getting a bigger share from the tribes. With more than 30 tribes and 130 large and small casinos in the state, there is a huge barrier to entry for commercial interests, not to mention that doing so would mean the tribes wouldn't have to pay a cent to the state. They now account for about $150 million annually to the state. The Chickasaw Nation's WinStar Resort, on the Red River north of Dallas-Ft.Worth, has over 9,000 slots and is billed as the largest casino in the World. The neighboring Choctaws have a world class resort near Durant serving the same DFW/North Texas market. The Cherokees, Muscogee Creek and Osage Tribes each have large casino resorts in the Tulsa area.

The states largest gaming tribes, now joined by many others, filed a federal suit against the governor just before the end of the year. The federal judge has sent the suit to mediation and, as a result of the Covid crisis, extended the time for that mediation to take place.

Tribes certainly recognize each others' sovereignty, but it looks like these two tribes took this action without letting their OIGA brethren know about it. I think they simply look silly for letting Stitt use them for a photo-op (with no chance of what they signed ever being approved).

Bull Stitt!