City conference showcases Oklahoma casino business

Oklahoma's tribal casinos are abandoning their traditional bingo parlor atmosphere and developing into resort destinations where the emphasis is on entertainment, tribal officials and gaming executives said Monday at a tribal gaming conference and trade show.

"Indian gaming facilities will have to evolve. They're not old metal buildings full of smoke anymore," said David Qualls, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.

About 3,000 tribal officials and gaming executives attended the OIGA's 14th annual conference where they visited displays and kiosks featuring the latest in gaming machines, casino management systems and food and furniture vendors.

Oklahoma is home to 91 gaming centers that have formal compacts with the state, according to Derek Campbell of the Office of State Finance.

But the number of casinos in the state has reached a plateau as existing casinos focus on expanding their property with resort hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues that host top-name performers, Qualls said.

"They're growing by leaps and bounds," he said.

Indian gaming in Oklahoma began in the early 1980s with high-stakes bingo games. But casino construction and expansion accelerated after voters in 2004 passed State Question 712, which allowed for gambling agreements between the state and Indian tribes.

The agreements allowed casinos to expand the kinds of games they offered and for the state to share in the revenue. Oklahoma's take from the tribal agreements was $70.

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