Local-government approval, however, is only one step in a process that holds little likelihood of success. Given past opposition to new tribal casinos at the state level, these plans face iffy prospects at best.
State law prohibits casinos.
But under federal law such statutes can be swept aside due to the separate legal treatment of native American tribes. That's how Kansas ended up with casinos operated by four tribes in northeastern Kansas. The Delawares are an Oklahoma-based tribe, a fact that changes the equation dramatically. The Delawares apparently hope to first win local endorsement by offering communities a share of the expected revenue, even though they would not be required to do so. Presumably local officials and other boosters would then add to the political pressure favoring casino development and yet another expansion of gambling in Kansas.