Please correct me if I’m wrong. Didn’t the state only get 159mil from the tribes and are they buying the hunting licenses as a greatly reduced rate? If this is true, I understand that it’s still a lot of money, but, maybe Stitt is holding out for more or hoping to negotiate a better deal for the state?No one allows the monopoly; the state and tribes agreed to it. But it goes to federal court because it's a dispute between soverign states (just like when OK sues Arkansas, for example).
The tribes can run their own gaming; they don't need the state to permit them. They effectively grease the state's palms with the compact to keep the state from allowing any other entities (state-owned, or state-authorized private entities) to operate gaming. The state COULD allow other gaming, were they not prudish teetotalers back in the day and outlawed it for everyone until the tribes started their gaming operations. The state likely makes WAY more off the massive tribal enterprises' cut they get at any rate (and I mean literally the rate they collect) than were they to reopen to other entities and try to get a cut off those newer, meager operations.
The tribes aren't being petty; they built this industry up over the last several decades from the bingo-hall beginnings, and have basically built this to provide them a ton of revenue for their citizens but also a large amount for the state that they've been paying through the compacts. They're not playing harball here; Stitt's the one who's going to shoot himself in the foot getting greedy when the Tribes take their ball and go home and OK is left with zero revenue as @thor447 alluded to.
I gotta laugh at all y'all here praising the OK.GOV for wanting to increase revenue collections. When was the last time y'all ever agreed you wanted the state to take more money from a business LOL?
Also, Stitt is doing the same thing with the hunting/fishing licenses. Wildlife Commission and the tribes had terms set to renew their agreements of the Nations' buying their members licenses, but Stitt refused to hear it. The Cherokee just renewed for 1 year, but the Choctaw (last I heard) still hasn't heard a peep from the Governor's office. The Wildlife Commission is being deprived of significant revenue here, because the tribes buy a TON of licenses for their citizens, because our bone-headed governor's ego is trying to "win" some negotiation with the tribes.
For the record I've been overall happy with Stitt. WAY better than the prior Governor. But I'm not happy with the way he's trying to play negotiating with the tribes. He's VERY likely not gonna win either.