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- By Native News Online Staff
The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma (UKB) has received official notification that the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC)—an independent federal regulatory agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior—has formally approved the Tribe’s Gaming Ordinance.
Now codified as the 2025 UKB Tribal Gaming Code, the ordinance establishes the legal and regulatory structure for the UKB to operate and regulate gaming activities on its Indian lands within the Oklahoma Cherokee Reservation. This excludes lands held in trust or fee by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
In its approval, the NIGC stated: “The 2025 UKB Gaming Code is consistent with the requirements of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and NIGC regulations and is hereby approved.”
“This is a major step forward in our efforts to build economic opportunities for our Tribe and our surrounding community,” said UKB Chief Jeff Wacoche. “Gaming is one of several economic development tools we’re pursuing to generate revenue and deliver critical services to our members.”
“While additional steps remain before UKB gaming operations resume, the NIGC’s decision affirms what decades of federal law have made clear: Indian Tribes have
the right to regulate and conduct gaming on their lands. We commend the Commission and the Department of the Interior for recognizing and upholding that legal foundation," Chief Wacoche added,
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