Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioThe Golden Pony Casino in Oklahoma is in a state of limbo as rival factions in the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town (TTT) have forced its closure since the start of November. A hearing at the Oklahoma Supreme Court this week could decide which faction of the tribe gains control of its operations, including the casino.
Tensions began earlier this year when a group staged a protest against tribal leaders. The tribe has not held an election for leadership in 18 years and is under the control of Mekko (Town King) Brent Brown.
During a tribal meeting in October, a rebel group arrived and demanded that the committee members resign. When they refused, the rebels conducted their own election and declared themselves the new Business Committee.
A few days later, members of the self-appointed committee stormed a tribal office armed with rifles and threatened the current tribal government officials.
Brown filed a lawsuit against the rebels in the Okfuskee County District Court on October 27. The lawsuit alleges the group forced entry into tribal buildings and threatened physical harm.
It seeks a temporary emergency restraining order, a temporary injunction, a permanent injunction, and a declaratory judgment against two listed groups of individuals.
After the lawsuit was filed, an attempted break-in during the early morning hours of Monday, Nov. 3, at the Golden Pony Casino led to its closure. It has not been operational since.
Rebel Groups Named With Former Leader
The lawsuit names the individuals who have staged the rebellion. One group includes Brent Smith, Tim Cheek, Cole Trickey, Tim Wolf, Miranda Kelough, David Haney, and Mike Harjochee. This group is alleged to have stormed the building in October.
Another group, which includes former Mekko Nathan Anderson, is accused of threatening the Tribe’s depository bank employees. They also allegedly gained access to certain federal government websites and prevented TTT Tribal officials from accessing these websites.
Anderson assumed the leadership role of the tribe in 2007 but was eventually removed from office by an internal TTT Tribal Constitutional Grievance Procedure. He claims to be the rightful leader, alleging that he won the last official election.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation (MCN) Supreme Court ruled against Anderson in 2022, officially removing him from his position. He has, however, failed to accept defeat. Last year, he also attempted to stage elections, which were rejected by then Mekko Ryan Morrow.
Morrow claimed that Anderson had attempted a complete takeover of the tribe, removing all committee members and replacing them with his friends and family.
He stated, “The Business Committee authorized litigation against Mr. Anderson and his fake business committee in the MCN Tribal District Court. In the meantime, Mr. Anderson was removed as Mekko by an internal Tribal Constitutional Grievance Procedure and was expelled from office.”
Anderson claims that the judgment holds no value as a previous court ruled that the Thlopthlocco tribe is not a member of the MCN. The MCN has also been plagued by concerns about corruption. Last month, a former accountant was jailed for six years for stealing $25 million to fund his gambling and luxurious lifestyle in Las Vegas.
Muscogee Nation Hesitant to Get Involved Again
While the MCN previously ruled against Anderson, this time it states that it does not wish to get involved. MCN Attorney General Geri Wisner commented, “The position of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is that we are not going to get into the political mechanisms of Thlopthlocco.”
He added that he respects the tribe’s independence, stating, “As a sovereign government recognizing another sovereign, that’s Thlopthlocco. I don’t want, and I don’t think it’s the business of Muscogee (Creek) Nation to be involved in those integral mechanisms of another government.”
The tribe is estimated to have approximately 1,000 members, making it one of the smaller federally recognized tribes. Oklahoma’s tribes hold significant power in the state’s gambling industry. Any moves to legalize sports betting have been made through the tribes.
This year, two tribal-exclusive bills advanced through the House but were not passed by the Senate. Governor Kevin Stitt has had a frosty relationship with tribes over compact renewals since 2019. He has warned that he would veto any proposal granting exclusive control to the tribes.
The ongoing dispute that has led to the closure of the Golden Pony Casino is unlikely to persuade Stitt that the tribes are best placed to run sports betting in the state.
