- Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes had been under the impression that Internet gaming was OK.
- State officials said the tribe’s agreement with the state did not allow for Internet gaming.
- The tribes could operate online gaming from outside the country if they paid a fee to the state, according to the lawyer.
An Oklahoma tribal nation shut down its online gaming site over the weekend after a long-standing dispute with state officials.
But that same agreement could lead to uncharted international territory for a US-based tribe.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, located about 35 miles west of Oklahoma City, had been under the impression that Internet gaming was OK, but state officials said the tribe’s agreement with the state did not allow it, according to The Oklahoman.
An attorney for Gov. Mary Fallin went a step further, saying the tribe could not operate online gaming “anywhere in the US.”
“It was a misunderstanding,” general counsel Steve Mullins said. “They came to the table, and they worked with us until we could get it resolved. They’ve been good partners on that.”
The tribes, owners of the Lucky Star Casino at Concho and at Clinton, could operate online gaming from outside the country if they paid a fee to the state, according to the lawyer.
Under the unprecedented deal, 20 percent of revenues from international gaming would go to the state, according to OklahomaWatchdog.org.
That’s something the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are considering. A spokeswoman said the tribes have plans for launching an online social gaming network in “the international market in the very near future.”
