Some Oklahoma indian tribes unhappy with casino regulations

Members of some of Oklahoma's smaller tribes aren't happy. They claim the bigger tribes aren't playing fair when it comes to getting land approved for new casinos. <br/><br/>Under the Indian

Tuesday, October 26th 2004, 6:07 am

By: News On 6

Members of some of Oklahoma's smaller tribes aren't happy. They claim the bigger tribes aren't playing fair when it comes to getting land approved for new casinos.

Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, tribes wanting to build casinos on land put into trust after 1988 have to go through a strict application process. But some tribal leaders wonder if the playing field has been tilted in favor of certain tribes like the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations.

Jeff Houser with the Fort Sill Apache Tribe: "our tribe took seven years to get our land into trust because we followed the rules to the letter, and there are some casinos that are built in a matter of years or less."

A spokesman for US Senator Jim Inhofe says he is looking into the allegations. A consultant for the Chickasaw Nation says the tribe has done nothing illegal.