Coronavirus blamed for $30 million fee drop

The closing of tribal casinos due to the coronavirus pandemic is blamed for a drop of nearly $30 million in fees paid to the state of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association on Monday said the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services reported payments totaling nearly $123 million to the state during the fiscal year that ended June 30.

That’s down from nearly $150 million paid the previous year. Monthly payments fell from $12.2 million in February to less than $21,000 in March as tribes closed casinos in an effort to help slow the spread of the virus.

Casinos began reopening in May.