Sat, Jul 04 2009
|
|
Published August 11, 2008 10:45 pm - OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s tribal casinos are abandoning their traditional bingo parlor atmosphere and developing into resort destinations where the emphasis is on entertainment, tribal officials and gambling executives said Monday at a tribal gambling conference and trade show. “Indian gaming facilities will have to evolve. They’re not old metal buildings full of smoke anymore,” said David Qualls, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. Conference showcases state casino business The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s tribal casinos are abandoning their traditional bingo parlor atmosphere and developing into resort destinations where the emphasis is on entertainment, tribal officials and gambling executives said Monday at a tribal gambling conference and trade show. “Indian gaming facilities will have to evolve. They’re not old metal buildings full of smoke anymore,” said David Qualls, chairman of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. About 3,000 tribal officials and gambling executives attended the OIGA’s 14th annual conference where they visited displays and kiosks featuring the latest in gambling machines, casino management systems and food and furniture vendors. Oklahoma is home to 91 gambling centers that have formal compacts with the state, according to Derek Campbell of the Office of State Finance. But the number of casinos in the state has reached a plateau as existing casinos focus on expanding their property with resort hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues that host top-name performers, Qualls said. “They’re growing by leaps and bounds,” he said. Indian gambling in Oklahoma began in the early 1980s with high-stakes bingo games. But casino construction and expansion accelerated after voters in 2004 passed State Question 712, which allowed for gambling agreements between the state and Indian tribes. The agreements allowed casinos to expand the kinds of games they offered and for the state to share in the revenue. Oklahoma’s take from the tribal agreements was $70.4 million in 2007, triple the previous year, state records show. Today, tribal casinos have a $1 billion impact on Oklahoma’s economy each year and employ 25,000 people, Qualls said. “If it’s good for the tribes, it’s going to be good for the state,” he said. Tribal gambling compacts have developed new revenue for the state as well as opportunities for tribes to become self-sufficient and provide better housing, health care and educational opportunities for tribal members, Qualls said. They also are fueling growth in the number of gambling machines the state has. There are currently 45,000 bingo-based and slot-type machines in the state — more than in the state of Pennsylvania, said John J. Connelly of Las Vegas, international vice president for Bally Technologies, one of dozens of casino vendors at the OIGA trade show. Casino expansion projects are expected to increase the number of gambling machines in the state by 10 percent, Connelly said. “We are absolutely focused on this market,” Connelly said. Bally currently has 3,500 machines in the state “and growing,” he said. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the State News section
Missouri: Nixon vetoes motorcycle helmet repeal Kansas: Governor cuts school aid amid budget changes Oklahoma: Rep. Kern heckled at morality proclamation rally Missouri: State renames road, adopted by neo-Nazis, after rabbi |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
 |
 |
    : Special Offer For New Subscribers :   
|
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
