We are happy to report that OIGA’s July 2025 Conference and Trade Show enjoyed record attendance with more than 3,000 attendees joining the fun. If you were there, we thank you. And if you were not, we hope you’ll join us July 20-22, 2026, back in Oklahoma City. Plans are already well underway!
One of the highlights of the Conference each year is our awards ceremony, I’d like to share our exceptional slate of honorees here. The Chairman’s Award honors those in Oklahoma Indian Gaming operations who have worked through the ranks and made significant impact in their own workplaces and communities, and who have also been living examples of the positive impacts that Oklahoma’s Tribal Gaming industry has had on our state and the people who call it home. 2025 Chairman’s Awardees are Bruce McClure, General Manager, Rock & Brews Casino, Braman, Oklahoma, and Darius McGee, COO/General Manager, Kiowa Casino Red River, Devol, Oklahoma
The Modern Day Warrior Award is designed to honor professionals in the Indian Gaming Industry who have dedicated tireless effort and support to champion the cause of Oklahoma Tribal Government Gaming. 2025 Modern Day Warrior Awardees are James Klas, KlasRobinson QED; Joshua Berkowitz, Vetnos, LLC; Keith Scott Whyte, President, Safer Gambling Strategies and Shannon Morgan, VP of Regulatory Compliance, Gaming Capital Group, LLC.
OIGA also awarded seven John Marley Scholarships, funded by our Golf Tournament. Recipients for 2025 are Emma Lynn Thompson, who is a 2025 graduate of Henryetta High School; Jaxon William Myrick, a 2025 graduate of Quapaw High School; Diego Lousi Garcia, who attends Southern New Hampshire University; Maren Estelle Johnson, who attends the University of Connecticut; Emiliana Valentina Torres Padron, who attends Oklahoma State University; Haley Teeter, who attends Oklahoma State University; and Isaac Wayne Taylor, who works for Duck Creek Casino and attends Green Country Technology Center. Since 2014, OIGA has awarded 83 scholarships!
Earlier in the spring, OIGA collaborated with the Oklahoma City-based organization United for Oklahoma to fund and produce a report entitled “The Economic Impact of Tribal Nations in Oklahoma.” Using the most recent data available (2023), economist Dr. Kyle Dean wrote the report, and its findings are impressive.
Here’s what tribal gaming produced and made possible for Oklahomans: $7.4 billion in tribal gaming and related business revenues – up 27% over four years; 24,900 jobs supported, with $1.2 billion paid in wages and benefits to Oklahoma workers; $208 million in exclusivity fees sent to the state in 2023 – a 36% increase since 2019; and a tourism boost with 34% of visits coming from out-of-state guests.
Our industry continues to innovate and make great strides in Oklahoma and around the country. We have much to be proud of, and much more to do. I’m excited to see what’s next.
