Gaming compact dispute deepens tensions between Cherokee Nation and United Keetoowah Band

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (Cherokee411)— A proposed gaming compact between the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the state of Oklahoma has been halted, deepening longstanding tensions between the UKB and the Cherokee Nation.

The compact, reached in late April, would have allowed the UKB to reopen a casino in Tahlequah, where its previous gaming operation was shut down in 2013 following a legal battle with the Cherokee Nation. The UKB signed the model compact with Oklahoma on April 29, after securing National Indian Gaming Commission approval of its gaming code earlier that month.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a legal opinion on June 9 declaring the compact invalid. Drummond cited the expiration of a statewide referendum on Jan. 1, 2020, which had previously given the state authority to enter new tribal gaming compacts without legislative approval. Drummond argued that the proposed compact would now require approval from the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations.

UKB Principal Chief Jeff Wacoche criticized Drummond’s decision, suggesting political pressure influenced the ruling.

“The fact that the attorney general would issue a legal opinion that (erroneously) addresses the UKB without government-to-government consultation speaks volumes regarding the curious political influence of the Cherokee Nation,” Wacoche said a statement. “Were the shoe on the other foot there would have been daily personal consultations.”

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. rejected Wacoche’s assertions, defending the Cherokee Nation’s position.

“We know UKB will continue to misinterpret the law and misrepresent its own and the history of the Cherokee Nation,” Hoskin said. “But the truth remains: the Cherokee Nation has sovereign authority and exclusive tribal jurisdiction over our 7,000 square-mile Reservation in Oklahoma.”

The dispute underscores the complex legal landscape surrounding jurisdiction. A January 2025 opinion from U.S. Department of the Interior Solicitor Robert T. Anderson concluded that the UKB and Cherokee Nation hold concurrent jurisdiction over certain reservation lands. Anderson’s 57-page opinion stated that “the Cherokee Nation Reservation is UKB’s reservation” for certain regulatory purposes.

Cherokee Nation Attorney General Chad Harsha praised Drummond’s opinion, calling it a reflection of Oklahoma law.

“[It] highlights that the UKB, as they have in the past, tried to operate illegal gaming operations,” Harsha said in comments “You can’t do so under the guise of a compact that’s not available to them.”

The federal government has 45 days to respond before the compact would be automatically approved by the Department of the Interior. However, even federal approval would not override state law on gaming, according to Drummond’s office — leaving the UKB’s compact in legal limbo.

Source: NPRkosu and Tribal Business news