Dec 26, 2013  But people do give away good things for free. Casinos in Oklahoma give away money and you just have to cut off the attached strings to convert THEIR casino money into YOUR gasoline money without being sucked into contributing your dollars to their empire of. Revenue from tribal gaming in Oklahoma sets record. Thirty Oklahoma Indian tribes conducted casino-style gaming in the state last fiscal year, but nearly two-thirds of the record-breaking $132 million in exclusivity fees paid to the state came from just three tribes. I’ve been a patron of the Winstar Casino now for several years, probably 5+. I try to go at least twice a year, driving from Austin as (like with most other Texans) it’s the closest casino around. So with this review it’ll culminate all those visits combined. PROs: It truly.

1. Where Does All Our Tax Money Go
2. Goodwill Where Does Money Go

byRandy Ellis

Where Does All Our Tax Money Go

Thirty Oklahoma Indian tribes conducted casino-style gaming in the state last fiscal year, but nearly two-thirds of the record-breaking $132 million in exclusivity fees paid to the state came from just three tribes.

Leading the way were the Chickasaw Nation, which paid the state nearly $46.9 million in fees, the Choctaw Nation, which paid about $22.4 million, and the Cherokee Nation, which paid nearly $15.3 million.

“The record amount is not only good news for Oklahoma education funding, but also continues an upward trend since the first decline two years ago,” the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services stated in an annual report prepared by its gaming compliance unit.

The $132 million in fees was nearly 3 percent more than the $128.4 million that tribes paid the prior fiscal year.

Indian gaming revenues received by the state go to support education, mental health services and state agencies.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services receives $250,000 each year from the exclusivity fees. The Education Reform Revolving Fund (1017 Fund) receives 88 percent of the remainder, and the state's General Revenue Fund receives 12 percent. This past fiscal year, the education fund received nearly $116 million, while about $16 million went into the General Revenue Fund, where it can be appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature.

The exclusivity fees paid to the state were derived from nearly $2.2 billion in revenue that Oklahoma tribes generated last fiscal year through the operation of Class III, casino-style games.

Classes of games

Based on the terms of negotiated compacts, Oklahoma tribes are required to pay fees to the state based on the amount of revenue they derive from Class III games like slot machines, blackjack, craps and roulette.

Many tribes also operate Class II and Class I games but do not have to share any revenues derived from those games with the state.

Class II games are bingo and bingo-style games, and include electronic versions of bingo that resemble slot machines. Class I games include traditional Indian games that may be a part of tribal ceremonies and celebrations and social gaming for minimal prizes.

The mix between Class III and Class II machines can vary from tribe to tribe, so the relative profitability of the gaming operations of various tribes cannot be accurately determined just by looking at how much they pay the state in fees.

The number of Class III gaming machines operating in the state has risen slightly in recent years, but the number of Class II games has been growing even faster, the state report indicated.

The number of Class III gaming machines in Oklahoma's Indian casinos increased from a monthly average of 40,667 in fiscal year 2015 to 41,099 in fiscal year 20l6, the report said.

In recent years, about 58 percent of the electronic gaming machines in Oklahoma's Indian casinos have been Class III machines, the report indicated, citing data from Casino City's Indian Gaming Industry reports.

Under compacts with the state, tribes are required to pay the state 4 percent of the first $10 million in revenue they receive from Class III electronic games. They pay 5 percent on the next $10 million and 6 percent on any revenue above that. They pay 10 percent of the monthly net win from table games.

Tribes paying most fees

Here is a list of the 10 tribes that paid the most money in exclusivity fees to the state last fiscal year and the amounts they paid:

•Chickasaw Nation, $46,861,383

•Choctaw Nation, $22,444,606

•Cherokee Nation, $15,290,046

Goodwill Where Does Money Go

•Muscogee (Creek) Nation, $8,531,353

•Quapaw Tribe, $5,923,005

•Osage Nation, $5,775,990

•Citizen Potawatomi Nation, $4,079,849

•Comanche Nation, $3,992,720

•Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, $2,898,332

•Eastern Shawnee Tribe, $2,593,546

For the past 30 years, staff writer Randy Ellis has exposed public corruption and government mismanagement in news articles. Ellis has investigated problems in Oklahoma's higher education institutions and wrote stories that ultimately led to two... Read more ›