New UKB Gaming Compact Heads to Washington for Final ApprovalBlog Post
By Cherokee 411 Staff
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (Cherokee 411) — The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) has formally submitted its tribal gaming compact to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the final regulatory step before rebuilding its long-contested Tahlequah casino.
The compact, based on Oklahoma’s Model Tribal Gaming Compact authorized by State Question 712 in 2004, now awaits federal review. The Department of the Interior has 45 days to approve or reject the agreement; otherwise, it will be considered automatically approved.
If finalized, the compact clears a major hurdle for UKB to place land back into trust — a process needed to relaunch gaming operations on the original casino site that was shuttered in 2013 following legal challenges led by the Cherokee Nation.
UKB leaders say the difference this time is a key federal opinion affirming shared jurisdiction between the two federally recognized Cherokee tribes in Oklahoma.
“This is about more than just gaming,” a UKB official said. “It’s about economic development, tribal sovereignty, and restoring opportunity for our citizens.”
Still, tribal officials anticipate renewed legal opposition from the Cherokee Nation once the compact clears federal review. But they say UKB’s standing as a federally recognized tribe and the new jurisdictional interpretation give them a stronger legal footing than in years past.
The submission of the compact marks a pivotal moment for the Keetoowah community, which has long sought to rebuild its gaming enterprise and reestablish a vital economic engine in the Tahlequah area.
