The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently held a public hearing on the environmental assessment of a proposed Shawnee Tribe casino in Guymon, Oklahoma. Last November the BIA said the casino would “not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment.” That means an Environmental Impact Statement—a step that can take several years–is not required for the Shawnee Tribe’s proposed a million, 42,309 square foot casino, the Golden Mesa, with 600 electronic games, eight blackjack tables and a restaurant and bar, near Guymon–about 400 miles from the tribe’s headquarters in Miami.
The Shawnee Tribe has no jurisdictional land of its own and operates within the territory of another tribal government. But the tribe’s casino proposal is a real possibility because the Shawnee Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe and passed by Congress in 2000, restored the tribe’s federal recognition and gave the Shawnee Tribe the right to secure land essential to its economic well-being, provided the land does not overlap another Oklahoma tribe’s assigned lands, said tribal spokesman Brent Gooden. He said the tribe would partner with Global Gaming Solutions, the gaming arm of the Chickasaw Nation, to manage the casino.
Prior to the recent meeting, Shawnee Chief Ron Sparkman assured Guymon and Texas County citizens, “We stand ready to work with the communities and local governments on a shared vision to help build a stronger economy and better place in the Oklahoma Panhandle. We want to be your community partner and we will work to help citizens of the Panhandle improve their lives through thoughtful investments in the community organizations who share our commitment.”
Sparkman said the casino would attract visitors from Texas, Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado, and would create 175 jobs with an annual payroll of $3.7 million.
Not everyone is thrilled. State Senator Bryce Marlatt said, “This would be a terrible precedent by the federal government to allow tribal gambling in lands where tribes have no historical ties. This could open a floodgate of casinos and other tribal ventures on almost every corner in Oklahoma. This move is also concerning to citizens in the Panhandle because of the societal ills associated with the proliferation of gambling.”
Marlatt said he believes the Obama administration wanted to put the project on a fast track for approval before the president left office. “I think it’s part of the administration, once again, making a midnight hour move to do what they want before leaving office. I’m just saying let’s slow this thing down and let the new administration come in and evaluate it and see what their opinion is before we start assigning these lands and have casinos in areas that have historically no ties to the tribes.”
Marlatt also stated perhaps the state should allow casinos owned by commercial operations, not just Native Americans. “If we are going to expand gambling anywhere in the state, perhaps we should look at who the best operators of such facilities really are and whether they would agree to terms that would provide the state more revenue for critical needs like teacher pay,” he said.
Guymon Mayor Kim Peterson said, “I think there’s ups and downs to it. I think there’s a potential for tourism and things like that, but I do think there’s going to be people who are going to probably abuse it, just like they abuse everything else . People are people. There’s people out there that drink too much, that eat too much, that smoke too much and I suspect there’s people that gamble too much.”
The Shawnee project would require approval from the new Trump administration as well as from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.
Recently the Kaw Nation received approval for its Southwind Casino in Braman, Oklahoma, soon to be renamed Rock & Brews Casino Resort under a partnership with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band KISS.
