Oklahoma’s tribal casinos are proud to announce they paid $138 million to the state as part of their exclusive gambling compact.

That’s a lot of money. But it’s a pittance when you see revenue figures for 2018 – $2,300,000,000.00.

In other words, the casinos are donating chicken feed when it comes to how much money is bet – and lost – by Oklahomans. Imagine what kind of ripple effect $2.3 billion would have on Oklahoma’s economy.

Gambling does not produce economic development. It is simply a transfer of wealth from the suckers who bet to the house. The house ultimately always comes out ahead.

The human devastation of gambling is not a part of the story being told by the Oklahoma news media. Since they benefit from tens of millions in paid advertising, they almost never run stories about people who have lost everything due to gambling. Casinos argue that people who become addicted gamblers have their problem no matter what. But the truth is that the proliferation of tribal casinos – around 140 in Oklahoma – makes the temptation almost irresistible.

Social service agencies and Christian nonprofits can attest to the lost jobs, split families, decreased net worth and criminal activity by some people who lose their shirt at a casino.Gambling is a black eye for Oklahoma. Getting a small percentage of tax revenue from it is no consolation.