Oklahoma's Indian gaming industry sets new yearly record paying $167M to state

Oklahoma’s Indian gaming industry has set a new record over the last fiscal year, paying a total of $167 million in exclusivity fees to the state during the height of the pandemic. They far exceeded the previous record of $148 million. State revenues from gaming increased more than 35% between the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years.

While the Indian gaming industry makes up a small part of the total Oklahoma budget, Indian tribes, however, make up a large portion of economic activity in the state, “especially in the rural part of Oklahoma that sometimes struggle with their economic development,” said Matthew Morgan, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, reports Yahoo.

All 132 Indian gaming establishments in the state were forced to shut down operations in March 2020, as COVID-19 spread, prompting the government and gambling facilities to take measures. Federal stimulus funds were essential throughout this period to help venues stay afloat and reopen, but operators also did their part to keep the gaming industry on its feet.

“Through the pandemic, I think the tribal leaders and operators, regulatory bodies working together with their health systems put together a robust reopening plan that patrons felt very comfortable with,” further explained Morgan. “The tribal governmental gaming industry has been strong for decades now in Oklahoma.”

This sustained strength and resilience the Indian gaming industry has shown throughout both the height of the pandemic and since venues reopened are the keys to the new record. “That is shown through the numbers on the exclusivity fees that were sent to the state,” stated the chairman.

Considering Oklahoma is a state of only four million people, the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association remarks the role tribes have taken in pulling out-of-state visitors to frequent their properties. “Tribes, in general, are very important to the economy of the state of Oklahoma,” defined Morgan. “As tribes are doing well, the state does well.”

The growth currently experienced by Oklahoma’s industry reflects pent-up demand, and operators are now grappling with how to maintain the success and continue expansion. Following the spread of the delta variant, some tribal casinos have issued new safety recommendations, such as reinstating mask mandates and social distancing.

Oklahoma’s gaming industry is one of the country’s most prolific, second only to Las Vegas and California. Nearly all of the state’s 39 tribes conduct gaming operations. The largest casino in the state is Chickasaw Nation’s WinStar World Casino, which counts with 8,600 electronic games.