American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The mainstream press has written a great deal about Indian gaming and its impact on Indian and non-Indian communities. The debate, however, tends to focus on Class III or “casino-style” gaming. The press and, unfortunately, the research community have largely overlooked the effects of Class II gaming. Notwithstanding their second-class status in the research, Class II gambling ventures have the potential to bring substantial change to the Indian communities that develop them. This study of Class II gaming operations in Oklahoma concludes that tribal governments are translating revenues and employment opportunities derived from Class II gaming operations into positive social investment reflected in quality-of-life improvements within both the tribal communities themselves and in surrounding nontribal communities. Moreover, Class II operations have a net positive impact on the Oklahoma economy through their demonstrated ability to attract out-of-state customers to depressed regions of the state. The tribes’ successes offer a striking example of the principal intent of gaming operations: socioeconomic self-determination for tribes.