Casinos Are Under Many Different
The United States are home to over 1500 casinos—more than any other country in the world, in fact–and those gambling dens generate over $71 billion in revenue per year. The casino gambling business continues to grow throughout the country, too. Critics are quick to dismiss the casino industry as being harmful to consumers, but these businesses employ at least half a million people.
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But the USA is also a patchwork quilt of gambling laws that vary from state to state. Most states have at least one casino now, but there are still some holdouts where there is no legal casino in which to gamble.
Even the states that are home to the most casinos—Nevada, Oklahoma, Colorado, and California—have dozens of sometimes strange laws on the books regulating the operation of these casinos. For example, Oklahoma is allowed to host casino games that use playing cards, but games with spinning wheels or dice are illegal. (That law is about to change, but you should see the contortions Oklahoma casinos go through to offer roulette and craps powered by decks of cards.)
In the state of Colorado, the most you’re allowed to bet in a casino is $100 at a time.
The rest of this posts looks at the various situations related to casinos by state. I think you’ll find these facts and statistics of interest.
This might seem obvious, as Nevada is home to Las Vegas, the former gambling capital of the world. It’s also home to Reno, which is also known as a casino destination. Nevada has 334 casinos operating within its borders.
But you’d be surprised as some of Nevada’s closest competitors. I live and work in Texas, which is right on the border of Oklahoma, a state which is fast becoming a gambling mecca in its own right. Oklahoma now has 134 casinos operating there, too. That’s about a third of the number of casinos as Nevada, but the latter has been opening casinos since 1931. Oklahoma just got into the business in 2004.
According to WorldAtlas.com, these are the 10 states with the most casinos, in order:
- 1. Nevada – 334
- 2. Oklahoma – 134
- 3. California – 62
- 4. Colorado – 40
- 5. South Dakota – 39
- 6. Florida – 35
- 7. Mississippi – 35
- 8. Arizona – 34
- 9. Washington – 32
- 10. Michigan – 30
I’m not sure how long these numbers will remain accurate, of course. The industry continues to grow throughout the United States.
2- The Best Casino in the United States Is the Mohegan Sun
USA Today runs a website called “10 Best.” They rank various businesses and products by category, and their ranking of casinos in the USA might be definitive, as it’s based on a readers’ poll. The #1 casino in their poll is the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Along with Foxwoods, the Mohegan Sun is one of just 2 casino resorts in the state. It’s made up of 3 casinos:
- 1. Casino of the Earth
- 2. Casino of the Wind
- 3. Casino of the Sky
Between the 3 casinos, Mohegan Sun is host to over 5000 gambling machines and over 275 tables games. They also have a poker room with over 42 tables and a race book. If you enjoy Asian style gambling, they have a separate area for that which offers games like baccarat, pai gow poker, and sic bo.
The rest of 10Best’s list looks like this, in order:
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Only 4 of the casinos in the top 10 are in Nevada, which sounds like a lot, until you consider how many casinos are in the state of Nevada compared to other states.
3- The Largest Casino in the United States in the Winstar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma
For years, Foxwoods in Connecticut was the biggest casino in the United States. It has over 340,000 square feet of entertainment. It’s been open since 1986, and the resort itself has over 2200 rooms for guests.
But the Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma has been growing like a weed since it opened in 2004. It doesn’t compete with Foxwoods in terms of number of sleeping rooms, but it has over 500,000 square feet of gambling space. I can remember when it first opened, and it was little more than a big tent on the side of the road.
Those 2 casinos combined are bigger than the next 5 biggest casinos in the country, each of which has about 150,000 square feet for gaming.
According to TripInfo.com, the next biggest casinos in the United States include:
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Every state in the Union now has at least once casino, with only 5 exceptions:
- 1. Alaska
- 2. Tennessee
- 3. Utah
- 4. Vermont
- 5. Virginia
You would think Alaska would be a prime state for casinos, as there’s a relatively large Native American population there compared to other states. But the Indian reservations in the state of Alaska don’t fit the legal definition of “Indian Lands.” This has to do with, among other things, the tribes’ authority to levy taxes.
Tennessee is possibly the most conservative state in the Union. As a result, even though there have been repeated attempts to legalize casinos, the state still can’t pass legislation to allow casinos there. Tennessee does have a state lottery, though, and fantasy sports for money is legal there, too.
Utah, like Tennessee, is extremely conservative, largely because of the large Mormon population and influence there. When my wife visited the state a few years ago, she had trouble finding a place that would sell her a real cup of coffee. (Mormons eschew caffeine.) I think she might have been exaggerating, though, but still—that’s the kind of attitude you’re dealing with there.
Vermont is one of the smallest states in the country, and they’re best-known for their maple syrup. All the states surrounding Vermont offer casino gambling, so it’s not much of a priority to legalize, regulate, and open casinos there in the state itself.
Virginia has been politically opposed to casinos for years, even though Maryland is nearby and offers casino gambling. Their situation is similar to that of Texas. Lots of money going across the border because the state can’t find a way to convince the religious conservatives running the government to legalize and regulate casino gambling. (Texas does have one casinos, though—it’s just so out of the way that it might as well not exist.)
5- Roughly a Third of the Casinos in the United States Are Native American Casinos
Unless you’re completely unaware of United States history, you already know that we weren’t the first people here. In fact, we took over the country from the natives who already lived here. What’s left of the indigenous tribes now have a certain amount of legal authority when it comes to governing themselves.
This is referred to as “tribal sovereignty.” These tribes are considered “domestic dependent nations,” and they’re recognized by the United States federal government. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 is one of several laws that try to clarify the legal relationship between the federal government and these tribal governments. It’s specific to the operation of gambling businesses.
That law limits the ability of state governments to regulate gambling businesses run on tribal lands.
And that’s the reason we’ve seen so many Native American casinos springing to life over the last 30 years. There are close to 500 casinos run by over 200 different tribes. Since there are only 1500 or so casinos throughout the entire country, it’s easy to calculate the percentage of those that are run by Native American tribes.
Also, since Native American tribes aren’t required to report casino revenues, the actual dollar amount of revenue generated by these properties is unknown.
6- Not All United States Casinos Are the Same—They’re Categorized in Multiple Ways
You can probably guess based on what I’ve included in this post already that you can categorize U.S. casinos according to whether they’re run by a Native American tribe or not. That’s a good starting point, but you can make further categorizations, too.
One category of casinos is “pari-mutuel.” These are casinos located in horse racing or dog racing tracks. Pari-mutuel casinos are also often called “racinos.” They don’t usually differ much from other casinos, but some of them have specific laws allowing slot machines but not table games. And sometimes they offer slot machines where the results are determined by historical racing results, similar to how some casinos use bingo results to determine their slots results.
Another category of casinos is the “riverboat casino.” In many southern states, gambling was illegal, but only on dry land. These riverboat casinos used to have to go on a cruise every day, but the laws aren’t as strict now. Most riverboat casinos never leave the dock anymore.
In fact, many of these riverboat casinos aren’t even on rivers anymore. They’re now docked in lagoons. In Mississippi, the laws have relaxed so much that a riverboat casino can be built on land. It just has to be close to a river.
7- You Must Be at Least 21 Years Old to Gamble in a U.S. Casino, but There Are Some Exceptions
The laws related to the legal gambling age are state laws, so they vary by state. They’re remarkably consistent, though. In almost all states, you must be 21 to gamble. The only exceptions are:
In those states, the minimum age to gamble legally is 18.
Some states do allow limited gambling by 18 to 20-year-olds. Usually, the only kind of gambling you’re allowed to participate in if you’re under 21 is bingo and other kinds of pari-mutuel gambling. These states allow limited gambling by 18, 19, and 20-year-olds:
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8- The First United States Casino Was Called Brown’s Saloon
Casino gambling as we know it dates back to 1822. Brown’s Saloon was the name of this proto-casino, and it was located near the border between Colorado and Wyoming. It was so named because it was located in a town called Brown’s Hole. The saloon catered mostly to trappers who were trading in furs, which was a popular industry at the time.
Brown’s Saloon, aka Brown’s Hole Saloon, was open for 18 years, from 1822 to 1840.
9 – The Only 2 States with Legal, Regulated Online Casinos Are Delaware and New Jersey
Delaware was the first state to legalize online casinos in 2012. They didn’t launch their first sites until late 2013. It’s a relatively small market, although they posted gambling earnings in excess of $3 million in 2016
New Jersey legalized online casinos in 2013. Compared to Delaware, the online casino marketplace in New Jersey is huge—they posted revenues of $196 million in 2016. That number increased by over 25% in just a year, so the market is still growing there.
New Jersey is expected to start taking online sports bets, soon. This should show a dramatic increase in revenues again.
Pennsylvania has passed legislation allowing online casinos, but there are no companies in business yet. The legislation is still recent.
10- Sports Betting Will Soon Become Legal in a Lot of States
Until the recent Supreme Court decision on May 14, 2018, the only state where you could legally bet on sports was Nevada. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was the law preventing states from legalizing, regulating, and offering sports betting.
In light of this Supreme Court decision, multiple states have started the ball rolling toward offering legal, regulated sports betting. Delaware, Mississippi , New Jersey, and West Virginia already had legal mechanisms in place for launching sports betting. They were just waiting for PASPA to be struck down. They’ll be the first states to offer sports betting in this new environment.
At least another dozen, and maybe as many as two dozen, other states are considering passing legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting. Most of them won’t have any action available until 2019, though, as they need time to get the legislation passed.
And there are 10 interesting facts and statistics about the state of casino gambling in various states. The United States has a rapidly changing casino and gambling environment, both legally and business-wise. It will be fascinating to watch the environment continue to grow over the next couple of decades.
You're damn lucky if your state doesn't have a casino they are just stealing peoples $$ big time
KY has slots at a race track in Mitchelleville/Franklin, KY. IL has casinos, Metropolis. There are a Lot of mistakes reference casinos!
Does Alabama have slots ? Darn state does not even have lotto
Over 1,000 land-based casinos operate in the United States of America.
And most of these establishments are built on Native American lands.
Even though 18 states allow some form of land-based gambling, including horse racing and full-on commercial casinos, most gambling experiences in the USA are provided by Native American casinos.
Wondering what the differences are between those “Indian reservation” establishments and, say, the classic great commercial establishments in Las Vegas and Reno?
In terms of gaming experience you’re not likely to find many differences. A large Native American casino may offer hundreds of slot machine games, blackjack tables, roulette tables, a poker room, restaurants, and more.
But only the largest Native American casinos try to compete with the Las Vegas experience by offering luxury vacation amenities.
How Las Vegas Became the Capitol City of American Gambling
Las Vegas is a special place.
The area was named in the early 1800s by Mexican caravan workers who passed through on their way to California. The name means “the meadows”. The area was well-watered by springs and travelers considered it to be the best place to resupply before pushing on to California.
The first American presence in the valley was a secret fort established by the US government in 1844 in preparation for a war with Mexico. The fort was eventually abandoned and the area remained without a permanent settlement until the Paiute nation formally ceded Las Vegas to the United States and moved away.
The region was claimed as a ranch by Octavius Gass in 1865. His family retained Las Vegas Rancho until they sold the land to the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad in 1902. The modern city of Las Vegas was established by the railroad company and business started booming. The city was formally founded in 1905 and incorporated as part of Clark County, Nevada in 1911.
Ironically, Nevada was the last western state to make gambling illegal.
Gaming officially ended on October 1, 1910.
Casinos Are Under Many Different Strokes
The city survived for the next twenty years despite the failure of the local railroads and prohibition. When President Herbert Hoover pushed through the Boulder Dam project, the city’s fortunes changed. Thousands of workers came to Las Vegas to help build the dam. Most of them were single men, and it didn’t take long for the Mafia to start providing entertainment.
Gambling, drinking, and showgirls appeared throughout the city, despite laws forbidding such activity. When the Federal government could no longer ignore the open crime, they built Boulder City for the dam workers.
But the State of Nevada saw the writing on the wall. They legalized gaming “at the local level”.
The first legal casino was licensed in 1931, and soon thereafter Fremont Street became the heart of downtown Las Vegas. More gaming establishments opened. The Federal government still forbade dam workers (the project had by now been renamed Hoover Dam) from visiting Las Vegas, but they found ways to sneak into the city anyway. After Hoover Dam was finished the construction workers left to find other jobs, but Boulder City and Las Vegas continued to thrive as tourists now started visiting the dam and Lake Mead. Local entrepreneurs began building better hotels and US highway 94 was extended south to Las Vegas.
During the Second World War the US Army established a new base near Las Vegas. This facility later became Nellis Air Force Base (the infamous “Area 51”). The Army forced Las Vegas to permanently end legal prostitution within the city limits.
Local hotelier Thomas Hull opened El Rancho Vegas on what would later become known as “The Strip”. El Rancho Vegas offered high quality rooms and a famous buffet.
Local hotels continued to spring up until mobsters Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky funneled money through Mormon banks to build the Flamingo in 1946. The Flamingo emulated the popular venue style of the Galveston, TX high-class casinos. The spirit of modern Las Vegas was born.
From 1952 through 1957, more glitzy casinos were built through a combination of Mormon and Mafia investment, including the Sands, the Riviera, the Fremont, and others. Millions of people poured into the city every year to gamble, and some of the biggest names in show business began appearing on local venues. A Congressional investigation into illegal gambling across the country eventually forced the underground casinos in Galveston and Arkansas to close, but Las Vegas’ casinos were protected by Nevada’s gaming laws and a powerful U.S. Senator, Pat McCarran.
In 1966 Howard Hughes moved to Las Vegas. He fell in love with the city and began buying properties, including hotels and casinos. He took control of the gaming industry from the mobs and turned it into a legitimate business.
Around the same time, Hank Greenspun, editor of the Las Vegas Sun, began a muck-raking campaign against the criminal activities in Las Vegas. Muck-raking journalism began in New York City in the late 1800s when progressive newspapers began documenting and editorializing against corruption, slum lords, and crime.
The gangsters did not go out without a fight, though. When the city of Las Vegas decided to annex the Strip to increase tax revenues, the remaining mobsters formed unincorporated Paradise, Nevada. Under Nevada law an incorporated city cannot annex an unincorporated city. The city of Paradise remains independent of Las Vegas to this day.
Still, as the years passed and more families visited Las Vegas the old criminal activities were gradually replaced by new corporate investments. Las Vegas hotels and casinos were built larger and with more amenities than ever.
By 1990 Las Vegas was no longer associated with organized crime in the minds and hearts of Americans. Instead it was seen as place where dreams can come true.
The Mirage opened in 1989, launching the megaresort phase of Las Vegas’ history. These huge hotel-casino-amusement venues define the city’s entertainment today. Magicians, musicians, and amazing performers of every type grace the stages of huge theaters.
The hotels on the Strip put on lavish street-side shows to wow the crowds as they walk from casino to casino. High quality restaurants have been built inside and around the hotels and casinos. Las Vegas has evolved into a safe modern entertainment venue that is often used as the setting in movies and television shows.
Native American Casinos Began Later
The story of Native American nations is both proud and sad. These amazing people lived in the Americas for thousands of years. Native Americans built great cities, empires, and trading networks long before Europeans began establishing colonies in the “New World”.
Despite hundreds of years of conflict, retreat, and great suffering, Native American culture survived into the 20th century.
But many Native American communities, though recognized as sovereign nations by the Federal government, struggled to thrive in spite of being ignored by commercial investment.
That began to change in the 1970s.
A Chippewa couple, Russell and Helen Bryan, contested a property tax bill from Itasca County in Minnesota. Because they lived on their tribal lands, the Bryans contended they were not subject to taxation by the state and county.
The Bryans lost their case in local and state courts, but the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear their plea. All nine justices ruled (Cf. Bryan v. Itasca County, 426 U.S. 373 in 1976) that states do not have the authority to tax Native American lands or to regulate activities on those lands.
Native American gambling began humbly in south Florida when the Seminole Tribe opened a bingo hall six days per week. State law only allowed bingo halls to be open for two days.
When the Broward County Sheriff arrested bingo hall employees, the tribe took their case to federal court.
The tribe won.
Another case was brought in the 1980s by Native Americans against California. In 1986 the Supreme Court ruled definitively that only Congress can regulate Native America gaming.
And in 1988 Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which preserved sovereignty for the Native American tribes but required that they enter into compacts with states.
The law did not end all disputes between the First Nations and various states, but it allowed Native American gaming to flourish. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s hundreds of casinos and bingo halls were built across America on tribal lands. In less that 20 years Native American gaming revenue ballooned from an estimated $100 million in 1988 to more than $16 billion in 2006.
And as might be expected, some crime grew around all that money, too.
But unlike Las Vegas, where mob families made direct investments in the gaming industry, Native American gaming was tainted by a scandal with lobbyists who bribed members of Congress and overcharged the First Nations they represented.
Native American Gaming Industry Assets
By 2012, according to the National Indian Gaming Association, there were 460 Native American gaming establishments operated by 240 federally recognized local tribes.
The most important prerequisite for any Native American community to operate its own gaming establishments is that they be recognized by the federal government. This has led to some smaller groups pushing for federal recognition. Although the practice is questioned by some critics, it’s also viewed as long overdue recognition for marginalized Native American groups, many of whom were completely dispossessed in the 1800s and early 1900s without any compensation.
But not every Native American community wants to operate casinos and bingo halls. In fact, fewer than half of the 550 federally recognized tribes have turned to the gaming industry for economic opportunity.
Native American groups also invest in other industries, including the arts, publishing, tourism, and manufacturing.
Their retention and development of cultural traditions and practices has nonetheless influenced Native American gaming in interesting ways.
How Native American Casinos Differ from Commercial Casinos
I believe that to understand how these “Indian casinos” differ from the typical commercial casinos you should look at the history of both industries.
Although similar to each other, they are not directly related to each other.
Both gaming industries obviously share some common traits. They create jobs, for example, in their local communities. When casinos began closing in Atlantic City, NJ in the late 2000s because of the Great Recession, more than 10,000 people lost their jobs. The loss of gaming industry venues was a devastating blow to the Atlantic City economy and those of nearby communities. By the same token, some tribal groups would suffer economic crisis if they were forced to close their gaming establishments.
Legalized gaming has a great economic impact for communities that support it. Travelers seek out gaming venues and spend money both on gambling and other activities. Restaurants, hotels, and other forms of entertainment generally benefit from gaming tourism. Local governments also earn additional tax revenues, even if it’s only sales tax on products sold outside the gaming venues.
Even so, there are distinct differences between the Native American and commercial casinos.
Here are just a few of the prominent differences:
1 – Venue Locations
Fewer than half of all states allow gaming of any type. In many states, the ONLY casinos or bingo halls you can find are located on Native American lands. What may surprise you to learn, though, is that not every federally recognized tribe has its own lands.
One reason more tribes don’t invest in gaming resources is that about 200 of them don’t have the land upon which to build casinos.
Other nations, however, may have multiple reservations. Some tribes may operate as many as half a dozen gaming establishments spread across their communities’ lands. They are often placed close to major state and federal highways and may be the only significant destinations of interest to tourists in their areas.
2 – Gaming Classifications
One consequence of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was the differentiation between the types of games that could be offered in commercial casinos and Native American casinos.
The most well-known distinction the law made was between Class II and Class III gaming machines. The ways these games determine their final results are significantly different.
In a commercial casino, the slot games must determine results by randomly spinning virtual or physical wheels.
In Native American (or Class II) slot games only a single random number is used to determine the final result of the game; the “slot” action is simulated. Class II slot games are tied to live electronic bingo games that produce the random results.
Because they’re bound by Tribal-State Compacts, some Native American casinos may not offer the exact same games you’ll find in other, nearby states. Each tribe’s casino managers also decide what games they’ll offer. Virtually all casino operators now rely on gaming industry trade shows to learn about new games and technologies available to their industries.
Even though Class II games generate results in a subtly different way from Class III games, the odds of winning aren’t much different in a Native American casino and a commercial casino.
3 – Who Works at Local Casinos?
Although Native American gaming companies do hire people from outside their communities, they generally give preference to their own tribe members. This makes sense; the communities turned to gaming to improve their economic prospects. The casinos and bingo halls created much-needed jobs.
But don’t assume that everyone who works at the local Native American gaming establishment is a member of the tribe. There is another way that members of the community benefit from the casino.
4 – Who Profits?
While commercial casinos are owned by corporations whose shareholders buy and sell stocks, Native American gaming establishments are owned by the tribes. Each Native American nation decides how the profits are used to benefit their community. Some tribes issue monthly or annual checks to their members. They are not stockholders in the sense that they can sell their shares in the tribe’s industries. They are members of a special social collective. This is, in fact, similar to the way many North American tribes shared resources equally for thousands of years.
5 – Total Revenue
Although modern legal commercial gambling originated in and drove the growth of Las Vegas, according to the most recent data Native American gambling drives far more revenue than commercial gambling.
The Native American gambling industry now generates over $30 billion in annual revenues.
By contrast, recent estimates suggest that legal commercial gambling in the United States still generates less than $4 billion in annual revenues.
6 – Venue Size
You will find some small commercial casinos in virtually every state that supports legalized gambling. Some of these parlors are quite small, perhaps consisting of no more than a row of slot machines at a truck stop.
But, of course, the commercial gambling industry is dominated by the megaresorts that provide their guests with thousands of games.
Some of the best-known Native American gaming resorts are highly competitive at the top tier of resort entertainment.
The three largest world-class Native American casinos are:
- The WinStar Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK
- The Foxwoods Casino & Resort in Mashantucket, CT
- The Mohegan Sun (which operates casinos in three states).
These venues boast thousands of slot machine games, hundreds of table games, and tons of extra attractions including shows, restaurants, and luxurious settings.
7 – Cultural Influence
Although any commercial casino may incorporate Native American themes and artwork into their displays, every Native American venue I’ve visited has favored its own cultural heritage. These casinos and bingo halls display a range of native artistic traditions from subtle architectural touches to lavish displays of art and interior decoration.
When you visit a Native American gaming resort you should expect to immerse yourself in a modern expression of local talent and interesting cultural displays. They are tasteful and not gaudy.
Sure, Caesar’s Palace is an amazing place to visit.
But if I had to choose strictly between only visiting Native American or commercial casinos again for the rest of my life, the Native Americans get my vote. There are so many diverse traditions most people will never be able to see them all.
Surprising Things I Learned about Native American Casinos and Commercial Casinos
Casinos Are Under Many Different Kinds
These two industries share some similarities. Naturally they have common interests in promoting gambling and related entertainment activities. Both industries work hard to make their venues safe, family-friendly environments (although children are typically not permitted near the games even in Native American casinos).
But there’s more than meets the eye in the symbiotic relationship between the two industries.
Both Industries Employ Professional Casino Managers
Remember how I said non-tribe members may work at casinos?
One area where opportunities exist for people who are not Native Americans is in casino management. There’s a great need for experienced floor managers, accountants, and other positions.
And what is surprising to learn is that some Native American casinos are operated by the corporations that own commercial casinos. It makes sense; corporate America looks for cost effective ways to manage large-scale operations. The commercial casino industry also had more experience in complying with gambling laws than the Native American casino industry.
Payback Percentage Varies in Both Industries
Payback percentage is that range of theoretical returns to players that people use to judge casinos by. Payback percentages tend to be similar among casinos within a given community but may differ from city to city.
For example, commercial gambling reviews often suggest that you’ll tend to see better payback percentages in Las Vegas than in Reno.
Why is that?
It’s just whatever the market will support.
Casinos can and do set the theoretical return to player on their slot games.
But because these games are now controlled by regulated computer chips, the process of adjusting the games is complicated and time-consuming. Casinos don’t like taking productive games off the floor. They also know that players often use their winnings to play more games.
So each region that has several gaming establishments experiences a market-driven trend toward a certain range of playback percentages. You’ll find occasional establishments that experiment with extreme percentages outside their local norms, but regular patrons soon learn where their money lasts longest.
Conclusion
Asking how “Indian reservation casinos” differ from the commercial casinos in Nevada and other states is a natural question. People who may only know one type of casino industry from their local gaming experience may wonder how the “other” industry differs.
As with any industry that has spread from different roots and adapted to multiple regional and cultural needs, there are clear distinctions between sub-groups within that industry. In fact, I cannot do full justice to the rich and robust Native American gaming experience in one blog post.
It would be fair to say there are different regional Native American gaming industries. Some states are home to dozens of Native American casinos and there are no (legal) commercial gaming venues. Without competition from the big commercial companies the tribes are free to develop their own styles in architecture, presentation, and game selection.
Local populations may also have their own preferences for gaming. You know, the reason e don’t have huge horse racing tracks in every state is that the states that allow horse races are home to populations of people who love that kind of entertainment. If enough people want to a enjoy a type of entertainment, they’ll try to find a way to make it legal.
Although I don’t condone any type of entertainment that is cruel and harmful to the participants (such as animal fighting), I think the growth of Native American gaming illustrates my point. These casinos don’t succeed because they’re protected by federal law. They succeed because the people who live nearby want to enjoy these games and other amenities offered by the casinos.
What is most amazing about these different industries is that many First Nations found a way to live peacefully with non-Natives in mutually beneficial economic cooperation. Perhaps it is even fitting that many outside communities have come to depend on these venues to generate tourism revenue and local jobs (outside the gaming industry).