Cherokee Nation Entertainment and other tribal casinos in Oklahoma are in the midst of a 90-day waiting period before they can offer traditional craps and roulette, which were authorized under H.B. 3375 signed by Governor Mary Fallin on April 10. The legislation permits “ball-and-dice” games that had been banned.
Cherokee casinos now offer non-traditional roulette and craps. CNE Chief Operating Officer Mark Fulton said, “What are currently in operation are games that perform like a craps game or roulette game, but they’re card-based. In other words, they don’t have a roulette wheel with a ball spinning around it, and you don’t have live dice playing the games, but you have all the possible outcomes on those games.”
Fulton said the new legislation “will put substantial dollars back into education. It’s something the customers are demanding. It will obviously provide some incremental revenue back to the tribes via their casino operations, and then the state and teachers are getting additional funding, as well. I think it’s one of those opportunities that came to fruition where all parties actually, truly benefit from it.”
Fulton said the new roulette and craps games will be placed in Hard Rock casinos in Tulsa, West Siloam Springs and Roland–casinos that already have table games.
Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission Director Jamie Hummingbird said he’s working to get all of regulations in place before the law takes effect. “We do anticipate this to add to that bottom line, because we expect better play and more play, since more people are accustomed to having the traditional gaming.”
Supporters said the new games could generate an additional $22 million for the state next year, above the revenue tribes already share as part of their Class III gaming compacts, which voters approved in 2004. Since then tribes have shared more than $1.25 billion with the state. In fiscal year 2017 they shared $113.9 million, an increase of 1.44 percent from 2016, according to the Oklahoma Gaming Compliance Unit’s latest report.
In addition, tribal casinos pay annual exclusivity fees to the state; these totaled nearly $134 million in fiscal year 2017. Also, tribes pay the state 10 percent of the monthly net earnings from table games.
