Oklahoma approves tribal casino
The governor approved the Shawnee Tribe proposal to build a casino in the state.
US.- Okhaloma’s governor Mary Fallin gave the Shawnee Tribe a thumbs up to build a casino near Guymon, approximately 400 miles away from the tribe’s headquarters in Miami, Oklahoma. The tribe announced its plans to build a US$25 million gambling facility in 2016.
Chief of the Shawnee Tribe Ron Sparkman, said: “As a landless Tribe, the granting of land represents a historic event of indescribable importance to us. As we look ahead, we will extend the hand of friendship and partnership to the citizens of the Panhandle. As I’ve said on many occasions, we pledge to be a good community citizen by running a responsible enterprise with our respected operator, Global Gaming Solutions, and we will value the opportunity to work side-by-side with local organizations who share a common desire to find ways to build better and stronger communities across the Panhandle.”
The Golden Mesa Casino would feature a 42,310 square feet venue, and even though it would generate multiple jobs for the local community, Senator Bryce Marlatt is still not okay with the idea: “This would be a terrible precedent by the federal government to allow tribal gambling in lands where tribes have no historical ties. This could open a floodgate of casinos and other tribal ventures on almost every corner in Oklahoma. This move is also concerning to citizens in the Panhandle because of the societal ills associated with the proliferation of gambling,” he said back in January.
