Casino District

[G.Walker]

What would it take to implement a Casino District in the urban core of Oklahoma City? Could it happen? What are the ramifications? I think this would be a good move by the city council to develop such a district, partner with the tribes, and TIF it! The city would get major kickbacks in return....

[SkyWestOKC]

Cue Larry_okc naming off every reason why it won't happen in 3....2.....1.....

Everytime a mention a casino downtown, I receive a book of a private message as to why it won't happen.

[G.Walker]

It doesn't have to be downtown, I was thinking along the south sides of the Oklahoma River, close to Humphrey's development...

[BoulderSooner]

this has 0% chance of happening ... the city was very much against the shawnee tribe plan to build a big casino in the adventure district and that would have been great for OKC

http://www.okcmajorleague.com/

[Swake2]

There is no tribe with standing to have land placed in reserve in central Oklahoma. The "unassigned lands", remember? So unless the state changes the laws and allows casino gambling it's not going to happen.

[BoulderSooner]

this has 0% chance of happening ... the city was very much against the shawnee tribe plan to build a big casino in the adventure district and that would have been great for OKC

http://www.okcmajorleague.com/

which was shot down at the federal level in Nov
http://newsok.com/interior-departmen...rticle/3513442

[OKCMallen]

Personally, I think we need to allow our native tribes to have unrestricted gaming like in Vegas. The money flowing into the state would be huge.

As it is, we absolutely need one big one in the middle of town. Not sure about a district. I think by Remington would be awesome, or downtown/Bricktown.

[Kerry]

There is a better chance of seeing the LFL in OKC.

[BoulderSooner]

There is no tribe with standing to have land placed in reserve in central Oklahoma. The "unassigned lands", remember? So unless the state changes the laws and allows casino gambling it's not going to happen.

the Shawnee tribe had that right and still does .. although congress passed a law (after they announced their casino plan) that required them to have a 2 step approval process requiring gov. agreement ..

[G.Walker]

Isn't Norman considered central Oklahoma, as Riverwind is located there, and its the closest casino of large size to the urban core...excluding Remington Park....

[flintysooner]

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Okterritory.png

[BoulderSooner]

good history on the shawnee tribes special rights .. here

http://64.38.12.138/IndianGaming/2010/022607.asp and here http://64.38.12.138/News/2005/009779.asp

[G.Walker]

I guess I don't get it, then how can New Jersey implement a "casino district" and we can't?

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ght_bills.html

[Jesseda]

Would love a casino district!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jesseda]

would love to seea casino distrcit outside okc area like around newcastle area, build a strip of 8 casinos like tunica but all in a row.. it will attract some tourist

[OKCMallen]

I jsut want one on the edge of Bricktown that people can walk to from Bricktown hotels. Imagine how great it would be when there are big events in town!

[Bigrayok]

[QUOTE=G.Walker;403624]I guess I don't get it, then how can New Jersey implement a "casino district" and we can't?

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ght_bills.html[/QU

Oklahoma could implement a "casino district" if it legalized non-indian gambling like New Jersey, Missouri, Nevada, and Mississippi, and a few other states have. The development of Indian gaming in Oklahoma and nationally is somewhat shady in my opinion. Tribal gaming in Oklahoma was originally based the concept of "charitable bingo" which non-tribes can participate in. The tribes figured out they could have slot machines called class II gaming devices if they based the outcome of the game on bingo. They later started offering poker and blackjack because they are "games of skill" instead of games of chance. The state question a few years ago which made an exception to Oklahoma gambling law by allowing Remington Park Racetrack which was not owned by a tribe at that time to have class III gaming devices allowed tribal casinos to have blackjack although that part of the question was not publicized in the advertising I saw promoting the question. The state allows tribes to have class III slot machines if they enter into a compact with the state to pay taxes on the class III games.

The tribes have always pushed the envelope as far as the law is concerned. I think Roulette and craps are supposed to be illegal in Oklahoma but some tribes are getting around the law by offering the games with cards. Some recommend since we have so many casinos in the state, legalize full blown Las Vegas style casinos with games of chance like Roulette, Craps, and Keno and let non-tribal entities compete with the tribes. So far, the tribes have a monoploy on casino gambling in Oklahoma because they are being operated for a "charitable purpose" based on my limited understanding of the law on the issue. New Jersey has non-indian gaming in Atlantic City. That is why they have a casino district.

Bigray in Ok

[OKCMallen]

[QUOTE=Bigrayok;403659]

I guess I don't get it, then how can New Jersey implement a "casino district" and we can't?

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ght_bills.html[/QU

Oklahoma could implement a "casino district" if it legalized non-indian gambling like New Jersey, Missouri, Nevada, and Mississippi, and a few other states have. The development of Indian gaming in Oklahoma and nationally is somewhat shady in my opinion. Tribal gaming in Oklahoma was originally based the concept of "charitable bingo" which non-tribes can participate in. The tribes figured out they could have slot machines called class II gaming devices if they based the outcome of the game on bingo. They later started offering poker and blackjack because they are "games of skill" instead of games of chance. The state question a few years ago which made an exception to Oklahoma gambling law by allowing Remington Park Racetrack which was not owned by a tribe at that time to have class III gaming devices allowed tribal casinos to have blackjack although that part of the question was not publicized in the advertising I saw promoting the question. The state allows tribes to have class III slot machines if they enter into a compact with the state to pay taxes on the class III games.

The tribes have always pushed the envelope as far as the law is concerned. I think Roulette and craps are supposed to be illegal in Oklahoma but some tribes are getting around the law by offering the games with cards. Some recommend since we have so many casinos in the state, legalize full blown Las Vegas style casinos with games of chance like Roulette, Craps, and Keno and let non-tribal entities compete with the tribes. So far, the tribes have a monoploy on casino gambling in Oklahoma because they are being operated for a "charitable purpose" based on my limited understanding of the law on the issue. New Jersey has non-indian gaming in Atlantic City. That is why they have a casino district.

Bigray in Ok

I wouldn't mind even if the native americans were the only ones allowed: let's just do full-blown gaming and turn Thackerville into Reno and OKC's tax coffers into Vegas'.

[OKCNDN]

What would it take to implement a Casino District in the urban core of Oklahoma City? Could it happen? What are the ramifications? I think this would be a good move by the city council to develop such a district, partner with the tribes, and TIF it! The city would get major kickbacks in return....

Neither the city nor the state has no right to tax on tribal land. However fees are collected through gaming compacts with the state. And those fees are collected by the state not the city. And those are just on class III games. All class II (which are bingo-based) revenues are fee-free.

And you are right about the kickbacks!!! You do know kickbacks are illegal?

Also several city council members have stated that if a native casino (not just a casino, but a NATIVE casino) were to open in Bricktown that they would be in favor of the city not providing utility (water, electric, sewer) and civil (ambulance, street repair) services to the casino. Talk about racist!!!

Oklahoma could implement a "casino district" if it legalized non-indian gambling like New Jersey, Missouri, Nevada, and Mississippi, and a few other states have. The development of Indian gaming in Oklahoma and nationally is somewhat shady in my opinion. Tribal gaming in Oklahoma was originally based the concept of "charitable bingo" which non-tribes can participate in. The tribes figured out they could have slot machines called class II gaming devices if they based the outcome of the game on bingo. They later started offering poker and blackjack because they are "games of skill" instead of games of chance. The state question a few years ago which made an exception to Oklahoma gambling law by allowing Remington Park Racetrack which was not owned by a tribe at that time to have class III gaming devices allowed tribal casinos to have blackjack although that part of the question was not publicized in the advertising I saw promoting the question. The state allows tribes to have class III slot machines if they enter into a compact with the state to pay taxes on the class III games.

The tribes have always pushed the envelope as far as the law is concerned. I think Roulette and craps are supposed to be illegal in Oklahoma but some tribes are getting around the law by offering the games with cards. Some recommend since we have so many casinos in the state, legalize full blown Las Vegas style casinos with games of chance like Roulette, Craps, and Keno and let non-tribal entities compete with the tribes. So far, the tribes have a monoploy on casino gambling in Oklahoma because they are being operated for a "charitable purpose" based on my limited understanding of the law on the issue. New Jersey has non-indian gaming in Atlantic City. That is why they have a casino district.

I do not know if remington park has been placed into trust status with the BIA. All the native casinos in the state have been placed into trust status. But not remington. I do not know if the BIA is going to allow it to be either. When a tribe purchases land they have to declare for what purpose the land is being bought. Gaming or non-gaming is one the things that needs to be declared. It's usually not a big deal to re-purpose land from non-gaming to gaming after the purchase is complete. But not in this case since gaming is already occurring. Not being in trust status means that the state can collect whatever fees that were being collected when under non-indian ownership.

In every advertisement for the legislation which allowed some class III games in Oklahoma I saw that blackjack was going to allowed. This was stated prominently in all advertising that I saw which was most of it.

And technically the state does not collect taxes on class III games because the state does not have the authority to collect taxes on tribal land. Instead the tribes pay "fees" to the state. Big difference right? The state still gets the dollars.

Non-indian establishments are not allowed in the state. The Tribes were smart enough to include exclusivity clauses in their gaming compacts. No non-indian establishments are authorized to open in the state, other than remington and some other small-time track somewhere in OK. But these places have limits on the number of machines and hours of operation. It was part of the trade-off when the state opened up to lotteries. No tribe would open their own lottery in exchange for concessions by the state. No non-tribal entities was one of the concessions.

[Dustin]

this has 0% chance of happening ... the city was very much against the shawnee tribe plan to build a big casino in the adventure district and that would have been great for OKC

http://www.okcmajorleague.com/

UGHH! I REALLY wanted this to happen! Would've been huge for OKC!

[KayneMo]

Isn't Norman considered central Oklahoma, as Riverwind is located there, and its the closest casino of large size to the urban core...excluding Remington Park....

I was looking at city limits maps and it looks like Riverwind is technically in Goldsby. Nonetheless, Riverwind is on the south side of the Canadian River, which is Chickasaw Nation.

I think a casino district would do great in the downtown area of OKC, massive hotels would also add to the skyline!

[Larry OKC]

Cue Larry_okc naming off every reason why it won't happen in 3....2.....1.....

Everytime a mention a casino downtown, I receive a book of a private message as to why it won't happen.

LOL. No need for me to do so, as others have filled in most of the reasoning as to why it can't/won't happen. But let me clarify, I am not against the concept at all. Go to Vegas at least yearly and sometimes to the n-state ones (but I do beter in Vegas).

...I do not know if remington park has been placed into trust status with the BIA. All the native casinos in the state have been placed into trust status. But not remington. I do not know if the BIA is going to allow it to be either. When a tribe purchases land they have to declare for what purpose the land is being bought. Gaming or non-gaming is one the things that needs to be declared. It's usually not a big deal to re-purpose land from non-gaming to gaming after the purchase is complete. But not in this case since gaming is already occurring. Not being in trust status means that the state can collect whatever fees that were being collected when under non-indian ownership.
...

Non-indian establishments are not allowed in the state. The Tribes were smart enough to include exclusivity clauses in their gaming compacts. No non-indian establishments are authorized to open in the state, other than remington and some other small-time track somewhere in OK. But these places have limits on the number of machines and hours of operation. It was part of the trade-off when the state opened up to lotteries. No tribe would open their own lottery in exchange for concessions by the state. No non-tribal entities was one of the concessions.

It is my understanding (which is fuzzy at best on this particular point) that while restrictions exist on a tribe from just going out and buying land and opening up a casino, there seems to be a loophole on them owning an existing casino.

[okclee]

this has 0% chance of happening ... the city was very much against the shawnee tribe plan to build a big casino in the adventure district and that would have been great for OKC

http://www.okcmajorleague.com/

I must have totally missed this news!

I thought that this was somewhere in the planning stages and was only a matter of time until an official announcement?

Hasn't Remington Park been purchased by an Indian tribe and it too is planning a major Hotel Casino expansion?

[Bigrayok]

The Chickasaw Tribe's gaming subsidiary purchased Remington Park. They have already announced they are not going to operate it the same way the tribal casinos are operated. For right now, it will only be a slots casino. It is my understanding Remington is not tribal trust land. Even though it is owned by a tribe, it is not being operated as a "tribal casino". I think it is good a local tribe purchased the track. They have already put some money into improving the facilities. Hopefully, it will give the track some ownership stability. Bill Annoatubby, the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, is one of the shrewdest business people this state has ever seen in my opinion. He has been an amazing leader and economic development advocate.

Bigray in Ok

[Kerry]

[QUOTE=OKCMallen;403665]

I wouldn't mind even if the native americans were the only ones allowed: let's just do full-blown gaming and turn Thackerville into Reno and OKC's tax coffers into Vegas'.

Have you seen the Vegas tax coffers lately? No one wants that.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010...s-underwater-/