December 31 came and went without incident in Oklahoma, where tribal gaming compacts theoretically expired—at least if you ask Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). However, having proposed extending the existing compacts to Aug. 31, Stitt could hardly turn around and try to put a beat-down on tribal 
casinos. We’ll see what happens with his threat to crimp casino vendors’ style. Also, as former attorney general Drew Edmonson pointed out, if tribal gambling is deemed illegal, the state would “have trouble” collecting the 4% rake it gets from the casinos, “so it’s really in the state’s interest to have those operations continue in effect.” Issuing a veiled caution to Stitt, Edmonson continued “the state is sovereign, but so are the tribes … and when there is a disagreement between the two, federal courts become the arbiters.” Already Stitt is a defendant in a lawsuit filed in federal court by three major tribes.
One potential bone of contention will be the clash between compact language that gives Oklahoma power to audit tribal-casino operations and the tribes’ extrapolation that they have the right to audit themselves. Added Edmonson of Stitt’s Angry White Man routine, “it’s unfortunate that all of 
this came up in governor Stitt’s first year in office. I think if he’d had a couple of years under his belt and dealt with the tribes a little bit more that it might have been done more gracefully.” In the meantime, New Year’s Eve business was as good, if not better than ever—perhaps fueled by fear that the good times were about to stop rolling. We don’t do Person of the Year here at S&G but if we did it would be Stitt, not because we approve of what he’s doing but because he’s done more than anyone to bring the issue of tribal sovereignty to the fore in 2019. That’s no small accomplishment.
* Yesterday we alluded to the stately pace of sports-betting legalization in Massachusetts. One person who must like the odds on Beacon Hill is Massachusetts Gaming Commission Executive Director Ed Bedrosian. He’s throwing over his public-sector gig for his old law firm of Orrick 
Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he will “work on issues relating to sports betting.” Yes, he’s becoming a lobbyist. Or, as Bedrosian spun it, “It’s an exciting time for new technologies and new opportunities in the gaming world as sports betting takes hold in different states.”
Bedrosian’s signature accomplishment during his four years with the MGC was vetting Wynn Resorts for suitability in the Bay State. MGC Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein lauded Bedrosian’s oversight of the openings of MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor, adding, “He consistently led and encouraged MGC staff to meet and exceed the demanding professional responsibilities required for what was no less than a true start-up operation.” Bay State lobbying rules will prevent Bedrosian from appearing before his MGC homies for the next year. See you in 2021, Mr. B.
Jottings: If all went according to plan, casino workers in Macao marched for higher wages yesterday. This is about as close as the enclave comes to Hong Kong-style unrest … Wynn Resorts has been dropped 
from the NASDAQ-100 index. Bet Matt Maddox won’t put that in the annual report … “Gangsters.” That’s what Cambodia is calling the operators of Internet casinos, forbidden in the country. The ban has coincided with an exodus of Chinese nationals. Sheldon Adelson would approve … MGM Resorts International continues to lead the industry in sustainability. Faced with an available garage rooftop at MGM Springfield, the company installed a solar array that is poised to provide 10% of the resort’s power. Best of all, MGM didn’t have to pay anything on the front end … The saga of Laughlin priest “Father Charlie” Urnick has been picked up by the Los Angeles Times. We think his Mass-in-casino tradition is ripe for emulation by the big boys.
