Gamblers begin to question Oklahoma casinos’ lack of payback rules
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
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Published: October 27, 2009
MUSKOGEE — Millions of gamblers’ dollars flow freely into Oklahoma’s Indian casinos.
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Other states
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In Kansas, the Kansas State Gaming Agency oversees Indian gaming. Four Indian tribes each operate one casino, said enforcement officer John McHatton. The state requires each gaming machine be programmed to pay back 80 percent, he said. "In Nevada, all gaming devices (slots) have a minimum payback of 75 percent, but it is usually much higher than that,” said Mike Wilson, chief legal council for the Nevada Gaming Commission and Control Board.
From Wire Services
How much is returned to gamblers through winnings remains a secret — not published by the tribes and not required by state or federal law.
Oklahoma Tribal-State Gaming Compacts do not require or include a minimum payback, or odds of winning.
"Payback just wasn’t negotiated,” said
Derek Campbell, gaming compliance lead for the Office of State Finance.
No federal or state law or guideline dictates payout percentages, Campbell said.
Some
Muskogee County gamblers wish it wasn’t so.
"I wish there was some kind of regulation on it (payback),” said area businessman
Steve Merrill. "There needs to be. I feel like I’ve just been donating. It seems like the longer the places (casinos) are there, the shorter the payback.”
Lawrence Jones of Muskogee said he and several friends used to regularly take $1,000 into local casinos at least four or five days a week and come out winners.
No more, he said. He noticed the payback going down almost two years ago.
"They need to have a required payback,” Jones said.
Casinos in Muskogee or surrounding counties are operated by the
Cherokee Nation or the
Muscogee Creek Nation. Creek Nation gaming officials and the tribe’s spokesman declined comment about Creek Nation gaming operations.
Mike Miller, spokesman for the tribe and Cherokee Nation Entertainment, said CNE was not required to disclose its payout percentage.
"Nor is there a minimum payout percentage specified,” he said.
The payout percentage isn’t disclosed "for competitive reasons,” he said.
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For the record, I thought prostitution on both ends is illegal? If so, why is it legal to go into one of the local casinos and get screwed (LOL)?
I've never spent a dime in one of those places, and never will, but I say more power to the Native Americans for finally taking advantage of the treaties that were negotiated a hundred years or more ago.
You can say they have "special" status, but they got that "special" status only after being subjected to a lot of abuse at the hands of white people. We violently forced them to move here, gave them this land to do with whatever they wanted, and they finally found a way to make money off it.
Leonard has the right idea. Boycott, make them reveal the payback for "competitive reasons". Let the casino with the best payback win.
The simple solution is just to boycott Indian casinos. I've never been inside one and don't feel a bit deprived.