Tribal casinos boost Oklahoma revenue

Statewide, tribes contributed $118.2 million to the state coffers, a 12 percent upturn from $105.6 million in fiscal 2009. The state's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

All but two of the seven tribes that operate casinos in Northeast Oklahoma increased their contributions to the state.

The largest contribution from Northeast Oklahoma tribes is $5,706,714 from the Quapaw Tribe, which operates Downstream Casino Resort, west of Joplin, and Quapaw Casino, near Quapaw. The fiscal 2010 figure is a 28 percent increase from the fiscal 2009 total of $4,467,968.

That also is the largest percentage increase in state revenues among the Northeast Oklahoma tribes.

Sean Harrison, spokesman for Downstream, said the casino had 2.2 million guests in fiscal 2010, about 200,000 more than in drew the previous fiscal year. The hotel was 90 percent full in fiscal 2010, compared with about 77 percent full in fiscal 2009.

John Berrey, chairman of the tribe's business committee, said in a statement that he is pleased with the casino's financial performance. He added that it's a competitive business, and that hard work is required for the tribe to remain competitive.

"The good news is the economy is beginning to recover," Berrey said. "If we can accomplish what we've done during a recession, just think how well we can do in a strong economy."

New marketplace

Investment banker Kristi Jackson, CEO of Los Angeles-based Tribal Financial Advisors Inc., attributes the success of other casinos in Northeast Oklahoma to Downstream's success.

"Certainly Downstream took gaming to another level in the region," Jackson said. "It created a new marketplace. They built something that attracted people from outside the area."

She said tribal casinos in Oklahoma didn't face the issues with tight credit markets that those in other areas of the country did. Oklahoma also didn't see housing markets crash as in other parts of the country.