In Oklahoma, governor tests power of tribal gambling

SEAN MURPHY Associated Press ADA, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma's history is so deeply intertwined with the 39 Native American tribes located there that the state's creation in 1907 was celebrated with a symbolic wedding ceremony between the Indian and Oklahoma territories. The relationship between Oklahoma and the tribes has sometimes been contentious, but one of its undisputed successes has been a 15-year-old agreement to expand gambling in the state. Since the tribes got the exclusive right to open casinos, Native American gambling has become a bigger economic factor in Oklahoma than in any other state except California. Dozens of casinos, including several glittering Las Vegas-scale complexes, generate more than $2 billion a year, with $139 million going to the state's coffers last year