Oklahoma Attorney General Declares UKB Gaming Compact Invalid

By Cherokee 411 Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY (Cherokee411) — The Oklahoma attorney general has ruled that the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians’ recent gaming compact with the state is invalid, citing failure to meet legal deadlines under state law.

In an official opinion released June 17, Attorney General Gentner Drummond concluded the compact is void because the tribe agreed to its terms more than five years after the initial model compact expired on January 1, 2020. Oklahoma law permits tribes to adopt the state’s model compact before that date or seek approval through a legislative process afterward.

“Automatic renewal provisions only protect compacts that were validly in effect on the specified renewal date,” the opinion states. Missing that window, according to Drummond, renders the compact unenforceable.

Legal analysts noted that two authorized pathways exist for a valid tribal-state compact in Oklahoma: timely adoption prior to the 2020 deadline or formal approval by the state’s Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations. The UKB pursued neither path, leading to the attorney general’s conclusion that the compact is not legally binding under state law.

This position aligns with previous state Supreme Court rulings that have invalidated compacts entered into without proper legislative oversight or after statutory deadlines.

The United Keetoowah Band has not issued a public response to the opinion.

The attorney general’s determination may complicate the compact’s pending review by the U.S. Department of the Interior under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and raises questions about the long-term gaming authority of the UKB in Oklahoma.

Sources:

• Oklahoma Attorney General Opinion 2025-7

• Cherokee Phoenix, June 17, 2025

• Oklahoma Supreme Court rulings (Treat I, Treat II)

• Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Compact statute and procedural guidelines