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- Best Paying Slot Machines In Oklahoma Today
- Loosest Slot Machines In Oklahoma
- Best Paying Slot Machine Games
- Best Paying Slot Machines In Oklahoma City
102 casinos are in the state of Oklahoma, making it a surprisingly big casino destination in the United States.
After all, you don’t often hear people talking about Oklahoma as a gambling epicenter.
It’s not Nevada.
But they legalized casino gambling in Oklahoma in 2004, so the casino scene has exploded over the last decade and a half.
And, the state of Oklahoma has more casinos than any other states besides Nevada.
In this post, I’m going to look at some of the interesting details about the number of casinos in Oklahoma.
What Are the Casinos Like in Oklahoma?
Until recently, the only kind of casino gambling allowed in Oklahoma was gambling machine oriented and bingo oriented. In fact, even the gambling machines – both slots and video poker – were based on a bingo algorithm.
In fact, you could see on the face of all the machines in Oklahoma a bingo card which lit up with the electronic bingo results. These bingo results corresponded to the various slot machine reel combinations. It was easy to ignore, and the practical effect for the gambler was almost nil.
Now, of course, Oklahoma gambling has expanded statewide. The use of playing cards was the first restriction to loosen, and, for a while, you could play craps games and roulette games where the results were generated by using a deck of cards.
Even more recently, Oklahoma has legalized using dice and spinning wheels for their results.
And they offer more traditional slot machine and video poker games, now, too.
As for what the casinos are like inside and out, it varies widely. The Winstar World Casino in Thackerville is literally the largest casino in the United States, and it offers many – if not most – of the same amenities that are available in a larger casino resort in Las Vegas.
Many local casinos, though, are small, non-descript buildings made of brick and filled with gambling machines. My understanding is that these smaller casinos target locals and have better payouts, but they don’t publicize specifics about their payout percentages.
Class II versus Class III Casino Games in Oklahoma
Class II casino games are games where the results are generated via a centralized computer system running the equivalent of electronic bingo games all day. From a legal perspective, this is a separate kind of gambling than regular slot machines or even blackjack.
Class II gaming includes bingo, electronic bingo, and pull tab machines.
For years, these were the only kinds of casino games available in Oklahoma.
Class III gaming is what they offer in Las Vegas and many other traditional casino destinations. Traditional casino games like blackjack, craps, and roulette are all Class III games. Traditional gambling machines like slot machines and video poker – with their individual random number generators – are also in the category of Class II games.
You can tell the difference between the Class II games and the Class III games in Oklahoma casinos by looking for the electronic bingo card on the front of the machine. If it’s there and lights up with results every time you spin the reels, you’re playing a Class II game. If it’s nowhere to be found, you’re playing a Class III slot machine game.
Quirks of Oklahoma Casinos
One interesting quirk about the casino games in Oklahoma is the “ante.” In poker, an ante is a forced bet that drives the action and ensures that players don’t just fold until they have a premium hand.
But in an Oklahoma casino, when you play blackjack, craps, or roulette, you’re required to place an ante in addition to your bet.
It’s not really an ante, though, as you lose the ante regardless of whether you win or lose.
Usually, you’ll see a so-called ante of 50 cents per hand on a blackjack hand of less than $100.
I’m not a fan of these kinds of table games, and I suggest avoiding them unless you’re playing for higher stakes. The more money you’re risking, the lower the effect of the ante on the house edge.
50 cents, when compare to $50, only amounts to an additional 1% added to the house edge instead of an additional 10%.
That will make a big difference to your bottom line, although, unless you’re playing games with positive expectation, you’ll eventually lose all your money either way. It’s inevitable because of the math behind the games.
Which Oklahoma Casinos Are Closest to Texas?
It’s probably not a surprise that a lot of the gamblers in Oklahoma have actually traveled from another state to get a little action. And many of those gamblers hail from the Lone Star State.
But which casinos in Oklahoma are closest to Texas?
The Winstar Casino in Thackerville is probably the casino closest to Texas. It’s only 80 miles north of Dallas, and, if you’re driving north on I-35, it’s located at the first exit in Oklahoma.
The Choctaw Casino in Durant is also close to Texas. It’s only 95 miles northeast of Dallas. If you’re living on the eastern side of Dallas or in one of the suburbs there, it’s closer than the Winstar.
You would get to Choctaw Casino by driving north on 75 instead of taking I-35. It’s not as big as the Winstar, but it’s a major destination casino with all the amenities you’d associated with a larger casino resort.
Of course, those aren’t the only casinos in those destinations. Border Casino in Thackerville is a smaller, slot-machine-only casino also located in Thackerville. I have friends who claim the slots there are a lot looser, but it lacks any amenities beyond the gambling.
How Did Casinos Become Legal in Oklahoma?
Casinos in a lot of states are owned by Native American tribes. They’re recognized as independent nations, but not entirely independent. They operate within existing United States law with treaties called compacts.
In many states, these compacts include the tribes’ rights to operate casinos within their jurisdictions.
Oklahoma tribes lobbied for the situation to change for years before States Question 712 passed. Once that happened, it only took 4 years for 94 casinos to launch in the state. I remember when this happened. The Winstar Casino, at the time, was nothing more than a giant circus tent on the other side of the Red River.

What Is the Best Paying Casino in Oklahoma?
In many states, the casinos are required to post details of their financials – especially as those financials relate to the payouts for that casino. This is why you’ll see casino guides publishing information about overall payout percentages and individual casinos’ payout percentages.
Oklahoma, though, doesn’t require the casinos to reveal their financial information related to their payback percentages.
So, what is the best paying casino in Oklahoma?
Who knows?
Best Paying Slot Machines In Oklahoma Today
It’s impossible to ascertain, although you could theoretically spend some time at each of them recording your results and drawing conclusions from those results.
With over 100 casinos in the state, you wouldn’t realistically be able to spend much time in each state at their casinos recording results. You’d get some results, but the statistical validity of those results would be questionable at best.
Which Casinos in Oklahoma Offer Poker Games?
Not all of the casinos in Oklahoma offer poker games. In fact, most of them don’t. Here’s a list of those that do offer poker rooms:
- Apache Casino
- Cherokee
- Choctaw (Durant)
- Choctaw (Grant)
- Choctaw (Pocola)
- Downstream
- Firelake
- Grand Casino Resort
- Hard Rock
- River Spirit
- Riverwind
- Winstar
Still, that’s a dozen casinos to choose from if you want to get your poker on.
I’ve played live poker at the Choctaw in Durant and at the Winstar in Thackerville. Both offer huge, clean poker rooms with plenty of action for the most popular poker variants – especially real money Texas holdem. I even found occasional Omaha games to play.
Conclusion
How many casinos are in Oklahoma?
With 102 casinos, Oklahoma has more casinos than any other gambling state in the USA. Only Nevada has more casinos.
But the gambling scene in Oklahoma is a little different from the gambling scenes in other states, so be sure to give it consideration the next time you’re planning a casino trip.
Introduction to Oklahoma Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Oklahoma slot machine casino gambling consists of 131 American Indian tribal casinos, casino resorts, travel centers, and “gasinos” along with two pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines.
No theoretical payout limits have been set for tribal casinos in Oklahoma. In addition, no return statistics are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Oklahoma*
The minimum legal gambling age in Oklahoma depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 18
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 16
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
In November 2004, Oklahoma residents approved a State-Tribal Gaming Act through a referendum. This vote enacted a model tribal gaming compact allowing tribes to use new gaming machines and card games. Based on this generic model, 31 tribes negotiated state-tribal compacts with the state of Oklahoma.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Oklahoma
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Oklahoma if it is 25 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s state-tribal compacts regulate tribal gaming in Oklahoma. However, the state of Oklahoma provides oversight under these compacts, which is the legal responsibility of Oklahoma’s Gaming Compliance Unit.
Based on the Oklahoma Gaming Compliance Unit Annual Report 2018, Oklahoma’s casinos prefer offering more Class II games due to Class III games requiring up to an extra 6% of revenue to the state.
The state also collects exclusivity fees from Class III machines. In 2015, 57% of all gaming machines in Oklahoma were Class III games.
Casinos in Oklahoma
As of mid-2019, 31 American Indian tribes operated 131 facilities offering Class III gaming through tribal-state gaming compacts with the state of Oklahoma. These locations include two racetracks offering pari-mutuel wagering and slot machines.
The largest casino in Oklahoma is also the largest casino in the world. This WinStar World Casino and Resort has 7,400 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Durant with 4,300 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has no non-tribal, commercial casinos.
Tribal Casinos in Oklahoma
The 106 largest tribal casinos in Oklahoma, including two pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, are:
- 7 Clans Casinos – Chilocco Gasino in Newkirk, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- 7 Clans Casinos – First Council Casino Resort in Newkirk, near the border to Kansas.
- 7 Clans Casinos – Paradise Casino in Red Rock, 82 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- 7 Clans Casinos – Perry Casino, 65 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- 7 Clans Casinos – Red Rock Gasino, 82 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Ada Gaming Center – East, 85 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Ada Gaming Center – West, 85 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, 86 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Artesian Hotel Casino Spa in Sulphur, 84 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Black Gold Casino in Wilson, 112 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Border Casino in Thackerville, 124 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Buffalo Run Casino & Resort in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Casino Oklahoma in Hinton, 55 miles west of Oklahoma City.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Ft. Gibson, 80 miles east of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Grove, 100 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Ramona, 30 miles north of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Roland, 175 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Sallisaw, 160 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – South Coffeyville, 70 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Tahlequah, 83 miles southeast of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – West Siloam Springs, 85 miles east of Tulsa.
- Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, 30 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Chickasaw Travel Stop – Davis West, 75 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Chickasaw Travel Stop – Wilson, 112 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Chisholm Trail Casino in Duncan, 79 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Broken Bow, 235 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Durant, 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Grant, 200 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Idabel, 240 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – McAlester, 130 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Pocola, 195 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – Stringtown, 163 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Cimarron Casino in Perkins, 60 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Comanche Nation Casino in Lawton, 86 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Comanche Red River Hotel Casino in Devol, 125 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Comanche Spur Casino in Eldon, 75 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Comanche Star Casino in Walters, 25 miles southeast of Lawton.
- Creek Nation Casino Bristow, 60 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Creek Nation Casino Eufaula, 135 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Creek Nation Casino Holdenville, 75 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Creek Nation Casino Muscogee, 50 miles southeast of Tulsa.
- Creek Nation Checotah Casino, 120 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, on the border of Oklahoma with Missouri and Kansas.
- Duck Creek Casino in Beggs, 35 miles south of Tulsa.
- Gold Mountain Casino in Ardmore, 100 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Gold River Casino in Anadarko, 60 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Golden Pony Casino in Okemah, 72 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Goldsby Gaming Center in Norman, 21 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Grand Casino Hotel Resort in Shawnee, 38 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Grand Lake Casino in Grove, 80 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, on the outskirts of Tulsa.
- High Winds Casino in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Indigo Sky Casino & Resort in Wyandotte, 90 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Ioway Casino in Chandler, 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Kickapoo Casino Harrah, 31 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Kickapoo Casino Shawnee, 38 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Kiowa Casino Carnegie, 94 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Kiowa Casino Hotel Red River in Devol, 125 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Kiowa Casino Verden, 57 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Canton, 60 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Clinton, 85 miles west of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Concho, 35 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Concho Travel Center, 35 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Hammon, 120 miles west of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Star Casino Watonga, 70 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
- Lucky Turtle Casino in Wyandotte, 90 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Madill Gaming Center in Madill, 122 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Native Lights Casino in Newkirk, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Newcastle Casino in Newcastle, 19 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Okemah Casino, 72 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- One Fire Casino in Okmulgee, 45 miles south of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Bartlesville, 50 miles north of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Hominy, 44 miles northwest of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Pawhuska, on the outskirts of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Ponca City, 50 miles northwest of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Sand Springs, on the outskirts of Tulsa.
- Osage Casino Hotel Skiatook, 17 miles north of Tulsa.
- Prairie Moon Casino in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Prairie Sun Casino in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Quapaw Casino in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Remington Park Racing Casino in Oklahoma City.
- River Bend Casino Hotel in Wyandotte, 90 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa.
- Rivermist Casino in Konowa, 75 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Riverwind Casino in Norman, 12 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Sac and Fox Nation Casino in Stroud, 60 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.
- Saltcreek Casino in Pocasset, 50 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.
- Seminole Nation Casinos – Seminole Nation Casino in Konawa, 60 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.
- Seminole Nation Casinos – Trading Post Casino in Wewoka, 60 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Southwind Casino Braman, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Southwind Casino Kanza in Braman, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Southwind Casino Newkirk, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- The Stables Casino in Miami, 89 miles northeast of Tulsa.
- Stone Wolf Casino in Pawnee, 106 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Sugar Creek Casino in Hinton, 55 miles west of Oklahoma City.
- Texoma Casino in Kingston, 130 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- The Black Hawk Casino in Shawnee, 40 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Thunderbird Casino Norman, 21 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Thunderbird Casino Shawnee, 38 miles east of Oklahoma City.
- Tonkawa Gasino, 91 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Tonkawa Hotel & Casino, 91 miles north of Oklahoma City.
- Trading Post Casino Pawnee, 57 miles northwest of Tulsa.
- Treasure Valley Casino & Hotel in Davis, 75 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- Washita Casino in Paoli, 52 miles south of Oklahoma City.
- WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, 124 miles south of Oklahoma City.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Oklahoma slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Oklahoma is:
- North: Colorado Slots and Kansas Slots
- East: Arkansas Slots and Missouri Slots
- South: Texas Slots
- West: New Mexico Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Oklahoma.
Our Oklahoma Slots Facebook Group
Loosest Slot Machines In Oklahoma
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Oklahoma? If so, join our new Oklahoma slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Oklahoma. Join us!
Payout Returns in Oklahoma
No theoretical payout limits are legally set by Oklahoma’s state-tribal compacts. Further, no return statistics are publicly available.
Summary of Oklahoma Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Oklahoma slot machine casino gambling consists of over a hundred tribal facilities with electronic gaming machines existing as casino resorts, casinos, convenience stores, travel centers, bingo halls, and more.
Gaming regulations come from a generic tribal-state compact, used by 31 tribes in Oklahoma to legalize Class II bingo-style and Class III Las Vegas-style gaming. It does not include theoretical payout limits nor require that tribes make return statistics publicly available.
Annual Progress in Oklahoma Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Over the last year, Bordertown Casino and Arena closed when the Eastern Shawnee Tribe decided to reassess its business plans and close the facility in December 2019. Also, the Texoma Gaming Center in Kingston became the Texoma Casino.
Best Paying Slot Machine Games
In early 2020, Governor Kevin Stitt of the State of Oklahoma demanded the state’s tribes update their tribal-state compacts. At issue was an attempt to improve the state’s gaming revenue by increasing income from exclusivity payments for monopoly casino rights. Ultimately, Oklahoma’s tribes united against the Governor, resolving the “bitter feud.”
Related Articles from Professor Slots
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Ohio Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Best Paying Slot Machines In Oklahoma City
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
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