Funding generated by gaming pays for Tribal government services and economic development initiatives and also goes to Oklahoma schools in the form of exclusivity fees. In 2023, Tribes paid Oklahoma $202 million in exclusivity fees, a 36% increase since 2019, according to a recent report on the economic impact of tribal nations in Oklahoma.
More than $177 million of those fees were allocated to fund public education across Oklahoma, according to the report, which was authored by Oklahoma City University economist Kyle Dean and issued by the tribal coalition United for Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association.