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.
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.
