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Slots kept spinning on the Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino floor long after the ball dropped at midnight Tuesday, despite the governor’s belief that Class III gaming is now illegal.

Gov. Kevin Stitt previously said he believes tribal gaming compacts, which allow Oklahoma’s American Indian tribes to conduct Class III gaming in exchange for exclusivity fees paid to the state, expired at midnight and made such games illegal.

The tribes believe that their 15-year compacts automatically renewed at midnight, so through the night and well into Wednesday afternoon at Margaritaville — at the River Spirit Casino Resort — and other casinos across Oklahoma, Class III gaming continued into another decade.

Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief James Floyd said in a statement Wednesday that the River Spirit Casino Resort was at capacity for New Year’s Eve, considered its busiest night of the year.

“Our hotel was sold out weeks in advance, which means a significant number of our guests were referred to other Tulsa hotels,” Floyd said. “Additionally, our restaurant reservations were also booked leading up to the holiday, so nearby restaurants benefited directly from the proximity to River Spirit.