Oklahoma Attorney General declares United Keetoowah Band gaming compact invalid

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has declared that the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians’ (UKB) attempt to enter into the state’s Model Tribal Gaming Compact is invalid, citing an expiration of the agreement’s legal window and failure to follow proper state procedures.

In a legal opinion issued June 9 in response to a request from Choctaw Senator Avery Frix, Drummond said the compact signed by the UKB on April 29, 2025, did not constitute a valid agreement between the state and the tribe.

“The April 29, 2025, execution of Oklahoma’s statutory model gaming compact by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma did not create a valid agreement between the State of Oklahoma and the UKB,” Drummond wrote. “The Model Compact term expired on January 1, 2020.”

He added that since the UKB did not have a compact in effect as of that date, the tribe cannot rely on the automatic renewal provision and must instead negotiate a separate compact through the state’s Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations.

UKB had submitted the signed compact to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in May for federal review. The department has 45 days to respond before the agreement would be automatically approved, but the state’s rejection may complicate the process.

UKB Chief Jeff Wacoche criticized the opinion, suggesting political interference by the Cherokee Nation influenced Drummond’s conclusion.

“The fact that the Attorney General would issue a legal opinion that (erroneously) addresses the UKB without government-to-government consultation speaks volumes regarding the curious political influence of the Cherokee Nation,” Wacoche said. “Were the shoe on the other foot, there would have been daily personal consultations.” 

Tensions between the UKB and the Cherokee Nation have persisted for decades. In January, the U.S. Department of the Interior ruled the UKB to be an equal successor to the Old Cherokee Nation, a designation long contested by the Cherokee Nation.

Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. reiterated his stance against UKB’s gaming efforts.

“We know UKB will continue to misinterpret the law and misrepresent its own and the history of the Cherokee Nation,” Hoskin said. “But the truth remains: the Cherokee Nation has sovereign authority and exclusive tribal jurisdiction over our 7,000 square-mile Reservation in Oklahoma.”

He added: “We look forward to working with the members of our congressional delegation to ensure this ill-advised opinion is not implemented.”

The UKB had operated a Class II gaming facility in Tahlequah until legal challenges from the Cherokee Nation halted its operations in a dispute over land ownership. The tribe had hoped the new compact would pave the way for reopening.