Talks to expand betting in Oklahoma have stalled. So 3 tribes are forging a different path

Talks to expand betting in Oklahoma have stalled. So 3 tribes are forging a different path

Article brief provided by The Oklahoman
  • Molly Young, The Oklahoman
October 30, 2022 8:00 PM

In the 1990s, a deadlock over gambling in Oklahoma prompted tribes to revolutionize bingo, creating an industry that would evolve into the Vegas-style casinos that dot the state today.

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History may be on repeat a generation later. This time it involves mobile betting, including on sports in some cases. Three tribal nations are taking steps to compete in the fast-growing industry even as gambling expansion talks stall with Oklahoma officials.

They plan to rely on the same thing that fueled their growth through the 1990s: Bingo. Under federal law, tribes can operate bingo-based gaming, called Class II, completely independent from states.