Copyright © 2005 NLThomas
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News from the Cherokee Nation, OK
Copyright © 2005 CNO
Accepting a $2 million dollar check for Oklahoma education, the state's horsemen and Fair Meadows are Executive Director of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission Constantin Rieger, second from left, General Manager of Fair Meadows Ron Shotts, and Oklahoma Gaming Compliance Lead Derek Campbell. Presenting the check are Cherokee Enterprises CEO
David Stewart, far left, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, and Cherokee Nation District 6 Tribal Councilor Meredith Frailey.
CATOOSA, OKLAHOMA - Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith distributed $2 million worth of gaming compact pre-payments to the Oklahoma State Treasury, Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority, and the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission at a news conference today.
"Under the state-tribal gaming compact, Tulsa area tribes have the opportunity to be community partners with the state and with Tulsa County by installing the new compacted electronic games," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "Just as we were first in the state to play cards under the compact, we are proud to be the first tribe in Tulsa to offer these new electronic games. We assume other tribes in the area will follow our lead, but we are proud to be the first."
As part of the compact, money from the first 450 games installed in the Tulsa area is set aside to be used as purses for the horse racing industry, as payment to Fair Meadows, a horse track owned by Tulsa County that does not have electronic games, and to share revenue with the state of Oklahoma for education.
"The gaming compact is about cooperation between tribes and the state, to benefit education and to create jobs," Smith said. "I think that is what we see here today."
Cherokee Nation gave $1,373,718 to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, to be used for horsemen's purses, $292,950 to the State Treasury to be used for education, and $333,332 to the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority which operates Fair Meadows.
"Purse funds, the breeder's fund, Tulsa County and the State should be thrilled with this payment," said Tino Rieger, executive director for the OHRC. "Horse racing in this state will certainly benefit from this."
"This is a long awaited day for horsemen in Oklahoma," said Debbie Schauf, executive director for the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association. "It [the payment] is a life-line to save our horse industry."
Under the terms of the compact, the state receives up to six percent of adjusted gross revenue from the new electronic games. Additionally, Fair Meadows is awarded five percent and the horsemen receive 25 percent of the adjusted gross revenue derived from the first 450 compacted electronic games in the Tulsa area. Future payments from Cherokee Nation to these entities will be disbursed on a monthly basis.
| Related Cherokee Nation contact information: |
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Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org
Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager |
Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org
Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation |