Federal panel will visit Oklahoma to discuss casinos
Federal panel will visit Oklahoma to discuss casinos
Published: February 14, 2008
MIAMI, OK — A congressional panel will meet in Miami next week to discuss proposed rule changes for the Indian casino industry.
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Who will attend?
Invitations have been sent to witnesses. However, their names won't be made public until they accept the invitations, said Boren's spokesman, Cole Perryman.
Indian gaming experts have said the vast majority of machines currently labeled Class II would become illegal in 2013 if the proposed regulations take effect.
At the end of 2006, Oklahoma tribes had 30,044 Class II machines. That represented 59 percent of all such machines in the country at tribe-owned locations.
The next-closest state, Florida, had 16 percent.
Oklahoma tribes also own more than half of the 160 Class II Indian gaming locations in the country, according to a study prepared for the National Indian Gaming Commission.
Class II was intended to be based on bingo. Technological advances have made most Class II machines virtually indistinguishable from Class III slot machines for average gamblers.
The state of Oklahoma receives 4 to 6 percent of tribes' revenue from Class III games, but nothing from Class II games.
Tribes paid the state $54.5 million from Class III machines in 2007. That money helps fund public education.
Related Topics:
U.S. Government, Special Interest Groups, U.S. Congressional News, Gambling, Native American Issues


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To correlate the bankruptcy troubles of people in Oklahoma or anywhere else to casino tourism and entertainment is simply wrong. Individual's are responsible for their finances not the Indian tribes.
As long as people live beyond their means there will be bankruptcy. It has been going on since the beginning of times all over the world. True, tribes have been gaming on record for centuries but bankruptcy is global and eternal!
Disclosure. I am in no way associated with indianz.com