Over in Maine the state’s first slots operation has reported spending of US$12.5 million in the first 11 days of business. Oklahoma’s first racetrack casino (racino) has grossed just US$200,052 in its first 15 days, or an average US$53 win per day per machine, way below the anticipated US$250 per day. Blue Ribbon Downs, owned by the Choctaw Nation, is suffering because the gaming machines they want have yet to be approved by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

So far only one company, Gaming Laboratories International, has been authorized to undertake testing and certification of machines for Oklahoma. Many popular games are available at the tribal casinos but have yet to be approved for the racinos, affecting customer satisfaction and consequently revenue. Yesterday the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission agreed that two more companies met state requirements for gaming machine certification.

Under Oklahoma’s new racino law, public education and the state’s racing industry were expected to benefit hugely from gambling proceeds. The law provides for 25% of profits to go to racing purses, breeders and horsemen’s organizations and between 10% and 25%, on a sliding scale, to public education. When the second racino, at Remington Park, opens next week, it is expected to make an average US$275 per day on each of its 650 machines. With this projection Oklahoma would receive around US$9.1 million for its education programmes and the racing industry US$17.4 million, but first the racinos must get the games that their public wants to play. (E-11.18.05)

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