The title is certainly eye catching – enough to give pause for thought. ‘Class Distinction: Gambling for schools” could mean that gambling education is at last being taught at some schools or, less praise worthy, that gambling is on the curriculum at a certain class of school. The article by S.E. Ruckman, a Staff Writer at Tulsa World, of course actually comments on the increasing education funding provided by gamblers at Oklahoma’s Indian casinos.

There are presently 88 casinos in Oklahoma, or will be on Tuesday when the Wyandotte Nation opens a new facility in Ottawa County. Since January 2005 tribes that have compacts with the state allowing Class III gaming pay fees that have mostly been directed to education in Oklahoma. Original figures for projected annual revenue from the machines, US$70 million, have yet to be realised but it seems that some gamblers are reluctant to make the move to less familiar gaming machines. In the first 9 months of fiscal 2007 tax revenue has reached US$30 million but as the tribes introduce more Class III machines, with increasing demand from the market, this figure should rise.

The Oklahoma gaming compacts between the state and the tribes operating gaming machines run until 1 January 2020. The State-Tribal Gaming Act, Legislative Referendum No. 335, was approved in November 2004. With more than four tribes accepting the Model Tribal Gaming Compact, racetracks in Oklahoma were permitted to offer the same Class III gaming machines but in numbers limited by the state. There is no such limit for the tribal casinos but, as previously stated, there is only a gradual adoption of the new machines.

A battle over education dollars continues in Oklahoma. A July 2006 report from the United States Census Bureau stated that only 56% of Oklahoma education funding reaches the classroom, the lowest of the 50 states. There is a move to get that funding level increased to a minimum 65%. (E-04.16.07)

© Copyright 2007 CasinoCompendium



>>> return to archives
>>> return to frontpage