Casino Increase Produces Problem Gamblers

As the number of casinos in Oklahoma increases, so do the number of people who become pathological or problem gamblers, authorities say.

That slippery slope that leads people to become addicted to gambling can begin with meager winnings. Very seldom do pathological gamblers convert money they win into spending money -- it becomes money to further gamble with, an expert said.

''The pathological gambler doesn't consider it real money," said Wiley D. Hawell, executive director of the Oklahoma Association for Problem and Compulsive Gambling, a non-profit association based in Norman.

Read the entire McClatchey News Service article at www.tulsaworld.com.

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Cornett Opposes Possible New Tribal Casino

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said today he is opposed to a possible new tribal casino on Interstate 35 at Britton Road.

Cornett told KTOK's Reid Mullins Oklahoma has too many casinos already; he added he's not a fan of casinos.

The Shawnee Tribe, it was revealed Monday, has a contract to buy 104 acres in the area.

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Tribal Casino Due At I-35, Britton Road?

By Jerry Bohnen, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ Another Indian casino might be coming to Oklahoma City, this one along I-35 and Britton Road.

The Shawnee Tribe headquartered in Miami has paid $4.6 million for 104 acres of land west of the interstate between Britton Road and Wilshire Boulevard.

Tribal leaders recently paid a courtesy call on Oklahoma County Commissioners to inform them of their intentions of building a casino, hotel and retail and office space.

The land sale was made by Tannenbaum Developers to the tribe and was finalized last Thursday morning. A spokesman for Tannenbaum has not returned a phone call for a comment. An Oklahoma City spokesman working with the Shawnee tribe confirmed the business deal. Other sources indicated that the tribe had to convert the property to a trust and win approval from the Indian Gaming Commission before the casino and hotel could be built.

But the project already has at least one opponent, businessman Sam Emmert and his wife Kathy Emmert, who are owners of the Statuary World at 8401 North I-35.

The property purchased by the Shawnee tribe wraps around theirs and they fear the site where they've been for the past 12 years could be acquired through eminent domain. "This is all brand new to me and I haven't heard anything at all concerning this. But yeah, I would be extremely concerned because under these new crazy federal laws, they been going out and taking people's property," said Sam Emmert from his offices at the west Statuary World site, located in the former Cimarron Pottery building at I-40 and Cimarron Road.

"I don't know how it would feel to be located in between this type of an operation. Some would say 'well, it would bring a lot of people to your area' but I don't know if I'd be happy with the type of people it might bring to your area."

Emmert said he's worried enough that he plans to discuss things with his attorney.

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Feet Of Clay: Tribal Official Admits Embezzlement

From NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ A former business committee chairman with the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe admits to a scheme to embezzle $114,000 from the tribe's Lucky Star Casinos at El Reno and Clinton. He's Robert Tabor, 62, of Calumet who pleaded guilty Thursday in Oklahoma City federal court to conspiring to embezzle the casino money. Tabor and his wife, Colleen Tabor, 49, were indicted in August. The indictment against her is pending. Prosecutors contend Tabor and his wife were part of the conspiracy. She is also accused of eight separate counts of illegally cashing checks or receiving wire transfers of $7,646.60 from different tribal bank acounts. Robert Tabor awaits sentencing and could get up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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A Casino At Every Interstate Exit?

Having just returned from a lap of Oklahoma and surrounding states, it occurs to me that we're near the point where there's a tribal casino at almost every Oklahoma interstate highway exit. It doesn't matter the direction you travel. The casinos are large and small and, it seems, there's new construction going on at almost every one of them. My observation comes just as The Oklahoman's Tony Thornton reports that the state's count of slot machines is now third in the nation, behind only the counts in California and Nevada. We now have 97 casinos with 45,289 slot machines to help part players from their cash. I"m the odd ball, having never been in one of the casinos and never having purchased a lottery ticket. It's my philosophy that if I want to give my money away, I'll find a suitable charity. ~ Mike McCarville

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