David K. Israel
10 Things You Need to Know about Indian Reservation Gambling
by David K. Israel - July 8, 2010 - 12:29 PM

I’m planning a trip back East and will be hitting my first Indian Reservation casino, which got me thinking: I know nothing about their history at all! So, after much research, here’s the highlights of what I unearthed. Please share any Indian gambling experience you have in the comments below!

The Beginnings

1. The phenomenon of Indian reservation gambling began in the ’70s when the Seminole tribe in Florida opened a high-stakes bingo operation, which is against Florida law. The authorities tried to shut the instant-tourist-attraction down and a slew of lawsuits followed. In 1979, the Supreme Court ruled that the State did not have the right to regulate Indian reservation activities nor could they tax reservation occupants.

2. In 1987, in the Cabazon Decision, the Supreme Court ruled that as long as a form of gambling is legal in the state where the reservation is located, the state can’t regulate activities on the reservation. This decision led to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which requires reservations confer with the state before offering any games that would be played against the casino such as slots or blackjack tables. If the state refuses to negotiate—as several have—then the Secretary of the Interior works out his own deal, which is always in the favor of the Indian tribe.

Big Money

3. Indian reservation gambling generates more income than Atlantic City and Las Vegas combined. In 2009, this totaled $26.5 billion in revenue from 425 facilities, run by 233 tribes in 28 states. Tribes receive $4 of every $10 that Americans wager at casinos.

4. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s Foxwoods Resort and Casinos in Connecticut is one of the world’s largest casinos. The resort covers 4.7 million square feet, has over 380 gaming tables, over 6,200 slot machines—the most in the world—and houses the world’s largest bingo hall. The resort pays 25% of it slot revenue to the state of Connecticut as part of their deal to allow slot machines.

5. The second largest Casino in the United States, Mohegan Sun, which is operated by the Mohegan Tribe, is located just a few miles from Foxwoods Resort. Mohegan Sun sports the world’s largest planetarium dome. In 2005, Mohegan Sun purchased Pocono Downs Racetrack in Pennsylvania and began operating the first slot machine casino in Pennsylvania in 2006.

6. Tribal Casinos are not always run by the tribe itself, but often by an outside management company. Harrah’s manages Cherokee Casino in North Carolina, the Prairie Band Casino in Kansas and the Ak-Chin Casino in Arizona. Mohegan Sun is managed by a South African company in conjunction with the tribe. Donald Trump even tried his hand at running a reservation casino when he owned and managed the Trump 29 casino in California. It was the first Californian reservation casino to open under a non-Indian name; however Trumps ownership ended in 2006 and it’s now called Spotlight 29.

So where does the money go?

7. Revenues from gaming are required to be used for tribal governmental and charitable ventures only. The revenues are exempt from federal, state, and local taxes, however there are exceptions. In the cases where the revenues are divided evenly and then distributed directly to tribal members, the federal government gets a nice cut. State taxes are often part of the agreements for large scale casinos.

8. There are 562 recognized tribes in the United States, only about 200 operate full scale casinos. There are approximately 150 additional tribes seeking recognition. Many complain that these tribes have no real membership and are only seeking to cash in on the casino business. Supporters of Native American rights point to centuries old treaties put in place to protect these unrecognized tribes. The Pequot tribe, which operates Foxwoods, received recognition in the early 1980s, after the last surviving member living on the reservation died and her grandchildren came together to recreate the tribe.

Big Controversy

9. In the mid-nineties, The Coeur D’Alene Tribe in Idaho began the National Indian Lottery on-line. This was a revolutionary idea at the time. However, it was met with much opposition and many lawsuits. The controversy stemmed from defining where the gambling took place—in the state where the gambler was playing or on the reservation where the site was based. The site was shut down in 1998, but as of November 2009 the Coeur D’Alene tribe was once again drumming up business for their upcoming on-line lottery. Stay tuned!

10. The Navajo’s Fire Rock Casino has been a hotbed of an unworldly controversy. After reports of soil from an archeological site being used as landfill for the casino—which goes against Navajo beliefs concerning the dead—and debate over possible uranium in the soil, some started to suspect skinwalker curses! (Skinwalkers are people who practice a form of witchcraft in Native American legends.) The tribal leadership was determined to move forward with the project and in November, 2008, the casino opened to much fanfare. However, early morning reports surfaced of staff members seeing skinwalkers in the casino on opening day. Navajo Gaming Enterprise CEO Robert Winter assured visitors that the tribe had bestowed many protective blessings upon the casino resort and it’s a great place to visit. :-)

Anyone ever been there? See any skinwalkers? Anyone ever been to any of these Indian casinos? Tell us about your experience.

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Comments (37)

  1. I designed the stairs that connect Foxwoods to MGM Grand. Also, if you look on the roof of the Mohegan Sun, you will see the ladder I designed there.

    posted by Chad on 7-8-2010 at 12:36 pm

  2. I’ve been to both Foxwoods and Mohegan, with Mohegan being the best of the two.

    posted by Dom on 7-8-2010 at 12:38 pm

  3. Used to be a regular at the Foxwoods poker room, until I moved out of the northeast.

    posted by Mark on 7-8-2010 at 1:07 pm

  4. I’ve been to the Mohegan Sun once. It’s a nice place to visit, but it’s more like a shopping mall with a few slot machines mixed in. And they have the most annoying radio ads.

    posted by MetalRose on 7-8-2010 at 1:12 pm

  5. Oh the other thing I forgot, in Minnesota, the Indian Run casino had the cheapest cigarettes in the state. Thought the same would be true here in the North East, wow was I sadly mistaken!

    posted by MetalRose on 7-8-2010 at 1:15 pm

  6. I’m from Mohegan Sun area- definitely the better of the two. Though they don’t have “Indian Bingo” which is really something to behold, if you’ve never tried it. It’s sometimes thousands of people playing a dozen or more cards at once, with thousands of dollars awarded each Bingo. Each session takes, no joke, about 4-5 hours.

    posted by Jen on 7-8-2010 at 1:17 pm

  7. I live on a rez in the Northwest. We dont have large scale casinos, but we have 2 small ones, plus Indian bingo. All of our slots are class II gaming- menaing it’s really an electronic form of bingo rather than genuine slots. Still lots of fun, though.

    posted by cAROLINE on 7-8-2010 at 1:23 pm

  8. go to Foxwoods often. great casinos. and a fantastic bingo. watched a lady win 250,000 dollars on one game one day. on the 4th of July they had one game this year that paid 1,000,000 dollars.
    have won several pots myself (usually split because of so many people playing both computers and cards.)
    Foxwoods is very well maintained and safety seems to be a primary concern. They keep the place clean (and try to clean you!)

    posted by olal on 7-8-2010 at 1:43 pm

  9. Gambiling is an investment for people who can’t do math.

    posted by Wayne on 7-8-2010 at 1:53 pm

  10. I used to be a frequent visitor of Turning Stone Casino near Syracuse, NY. Why? Because due to a dispute with the state over liquor licenses, it’s a dry casino and thus 18-year-olds are allowed to gamble. This was our big vacation destination in college before we all turned 21 and could visit Atlantic City.

    posted by Neil on 7-8-2010 at 1:59 pm

  11. Mohegan is definitely tops, better food and non-gambling/hanging out activities.

    It also sports a better physical layout; the casino is organized into themed hubs. Be sure to grab a drink at the mountaintop bar in the Casino of the Sky around dusk and watch the sky change!

    posted by MTAnderson on 7-8-2010 at 2:01 pm

  12. I’ve been to one in my state of Michigan (Soaring River). I didn’t really gamble that much, usually just play video games and to see Dennis Miller perform.

    Also, I remember from a King of the Hill episode that Indian Casinos aren’t allowed in Texas, because the tribes traded legal recognition for that right. How true is that?

    posted by Dan on 7-8-2010 at 2:13 pm

  13. I regularly go to Red Wind Casino in Washington state. We have lost of casinos here. Food is cheap and good, great buffet. Mainly play the penny slots but they have table games (including low-limit blackjack, etc). Spend a couple of hours and its cheaper than going to the movies.

    posted by Peter Hickey on 7-8-2010 at 2:42 pm

  14. I’ve been to Harrah’s Cherokee once with my husband. We had never been to a casino. We both spent $20 on the slots and left.
    I guess the gambling bug didn’t like the way we smelled, because it sure didn’t bit us!

    posted by waawaawaa on 7-8-2010 at 3:04 pm

  15. The casinos are just our way of getting payment for all the land you stole, one dollar at a time. :)

    posted by TXCherokee on 7-8-2010 at 3:22 pm

  16. TXCherokee – sort of. It also comes from anyone else who shovels their way through the casinos :P

    posted by Bakedpotatoes on 7-8-2010 at 5:12 pm

  17. Having commuted between Albuquerque and Santa Fe for two years, I used to pass all kinds of casinos. I only ever stopped once to go in. I walked in, cut the smoke with my trusty machete, played $1 in a penny slot machine, chuckled at the Native Americans taking those honkies for all that they were worth (I did feel bad because many of them do have gambling addictions, but oh well) and then left. Did essentially the same thing when I lived in South Florida too. I just don’t get slot machines and gambling in general.

    posted by anotherfascist on 7-8-2010 at 6:11 pm

  18. While in college I worked part-time on weekends at a radio station in Mississippi. One Saturday evening our company president called me during my shift and asked me to be a designated driver for him and his buddies to go to the Choctaw casino about 45 minutes away. We left after I got off at 11pm, arriving at the Silver Star Resort just before midnight, and they spent the next 2½ hours gambling and drinking liberally. The kicker was that I was 19 at the time and the law was you had to be 21 to go on the gaming floor, so I spent that entire time by myself in one of the restaurants eating on my boss’s dime. A very full stomach, a satisfied superior, and $60 later, I didn’t mind wasting the night and getting home about 4am.

    posted by Tom in GA on 7-8-2010 at 7:54 pm

  19. I live 10 minutes from Turning Stone Casino in Vernoa, NY. The controversy surrounding the Oneida Indian Nation and their property holdings in this area is astounding. As the Oneidas are not required to pay taxes to NY State, they do not collect taxes on things such as cigarettes (which are currently $10 – $12 per pack in NY when purchased at a non-Native American-run shop).

    A previous comment mentioned about the lack of alcohol being served at the casino and the restaurants. This was true until about a month ago. The NY State Liquor Authority would not grant a liquor license due to the lack of ability to collect taxes and constant pressure from bar and liquor store owners fearing the loss in business. A loophole was discovered by a local restaurant who subcontracted with the casino and they can now serve alcohol on the premises (including the casino, restaurants, night club, comedy club, and golf courses) and collect taxes without the direct involvement of the Oneidas. Protests are a common occurrence around here. The Nation also owns numerous gas stations where they charge, on average, 10-cents less than regular gas stations since they do not collect taxes. Interestingly, the casino and the Nation are one of the largest employers in this area. I have had fun there and have known others who have won a bit of cash. It is not a very large casino compared to ones in Atlantic City, Vegas, or the casinos mentioned in CT. They are constantly expanding, though, including bringing a stop on the PGA Tour to their beautiful golf course (look for it next month . . . Tiger played here last year).

    Regarding the profits received by the Nation, I have heard (though I cannot specifically quote sources here, so I could be wrong) that the Oneidas profit share with the tribe members.

    posted by Lori on 7-8-2010 at 8:57 pm

  20. I have been to the Inn of the Mountain Gods owned by the Meacalero Apache tribe outside Ruidoso, NM. It isn’t anything too special to me but tons of people go there. They also have a golf course and hotel which are quite expensive.

    posted by Jrdpa on 7-8-2010 at 9:14 pm

  21. the casino is the revenge for slaughtering the buffalo. the white man cant resist gambling. the red man laughs. pay back is hell.

    posted by dirk alan on 7-8-2010 at 9:45 pm

  22. Indian gaming–for those tribes who are federally recognized and are able to negotiate an arrangement with the state they are located in–has helped to pull native people from desperate poverty. It has enabled tribes to establish or build up infrastructure, expand social and educational services, and provide hundreds of jobs to both tribal members and non-natives which, in turn, boosts the local economy and benefits the whole community.

    I’m not a gambler but it’s fun to watch people enjoying themselves.

    posted by buddhadodo on 7-8-2010 at 10:21 pm

  23. I’ve been to both CT casinos. The book “Without Reservation” details how a “tribe” bought recognition. The CT Pequots are the only tribe recognized as such by act of Congress,not the Bureau of Indian Affairs. After reading he book,I will never go back to Foxwoods.

    posted by CT Resident on 7-8-2010 at 10:44 pm

  24. I live 20 minutes from the Seneca Nations. They have several casinos in WNY. Things could get testy here, since the governor, like his predecessors, would like to collect taxes from the rez. The last time this happened the Senecas blocked the interstate with burning tires. The casinos also draw a lot more popular entertainers than other venues can afford.

    posted by gewurz on 7-8-2010 at 11:39 pm

  25. There are five (5) Indian casinos in San Diego county, California. I live near (20 min drive) three of them and patronize primarily the restaurants at one of them and the outlet mall at another. One has its own bank. I really don’t gamble. These casinos are always crowded and a great place to go to watch the big boxing matches on pay per view.
    These tribal folks donate a ton of money to many, many charitable organizations in the country and two of them directly donate regularly to my daughter’s Catholic school.
    These casinos employ many people and they do boost the local economy.

    posted by Kelly on 7-8-2010 at 11:43 pm

  26. I live on tribal land and work (teaching yoga) for the tribe in Palm Springs. I’ve never wandered into the casino, but the tribe are great neighbors in this strange checkerboard city made up of alternating square miles of tribal and non-tribal land.

    posted by Antinous on 7-9-2010 at 1:58 am

  27. Gambling is just so stupid and greedy.

    posted by B-Doc on 7-9-2010 at 5:53 am

  28. A number of Casinos in Canada. I live 20 min. from the Rama reserve which is home to Casino Rama. Been there a few times for shows and drop 20 bucks or so waiting to go in to the showroom. They have these great ads showing people smiling and laughing and raising their arms in the air when they win. It’s a loada hooey! You can smell the desperation when you walk in the place. So many intensly watching the slotwheels hoping for the big retirement fund. No one smiling. No one laughing,,,, just quiet desperation. Fun???? No. this truly is the red mans revenge.

    posted by Near North on 7-9-2010 at 9:33 am

  29. The only issue is that the First Nation’s People with actual casino is a very small percentage of tribes less than one half of one percent have a casino, not all Natives have a bustling casino industry, the overall majority of First Nations People live in dire poverty with unemployment rates well above the national average.

    posted by Eunice on 7-9-2010 at 9:43 am

  30. I wasn’t even of legal age to gamble when I lived in the northeast – and I still went to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun for shows and dinners and stuff!

    You might also mention that the revenue from Foxwoods allowed them to create the Mashantucket Pequot Museum which is one of my favorites (I really like museums…)

    posted by Lynnie on 7-9-2010 at 12:43 pm

  31. I live 30 minutes from both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in CT, and go about every six weeks or so to Mohegan. I go for the restaurants and yes, for gambling too. I only bring $40 for gambling and then I’m out. I don’t usually win but treat it like a fun night out.

    I like the decor and general vibe at Mohegan better than Foxwoods. The inside is based on nature, and they have some beautiful bead mosaics and murals. (Although, it IS still a casino!) Foxwoods is too big for me, I could get lost in there. I also think their music is too loud and the decor pretty tacky. The museum mentioned at Foxwoods is worth going to, it is separate from the casino, so nice to bring the kids.

    My pet peeve is the grooming the casinos do towards children. They’re no fools. They offer game rooms and babysitting for kids, plus fireworks once a week in the summer for families. I cringe each time I see a stroller with an infant and 3 year olds being dragged around at midnight. The casino is NOT the place for a family vacation!

    posted by Sandra on 7-9-2010 at 1:24 pm

  32. I live about an hour from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. I much prefer Mohegan – only went to Foxwoods once and it was not nearly as nice so we’ve never gone back. Mohegan is beautiful and has great restaurants. It’s a fun day/night out with friends do have dinner, a drink or two, and do some gambling. It also doesn’t hurt that I tend to have freakish good luck on slot machines.

    posted by Sara on 7-9-2010 at 4:34 pm

  33. I live in the Four Corners area of New Mexico. We have two Ute Indian Casinos 45 miles away, two Apache casinos within 100 miles, the Navajo tribe will be building another casino 15 miles from us. There are at least 3 Pueblo Indian casinos outside Albuquerque, 180 miles away. Plus many other Pueblo casinos between ABQ and Santa Fe. Most Indian casinos are very nice, check out Sandia Casino….. not so good on the odds tho….

    posted by Lynn on 7-9-2010 at 6:58 pm

  34. Unless and until the rez casinos start giving away free booze like they do in Nevada I will never set foot in one again.

    The servers in the Nevada casinos are way hotter than the Native gals.

    posted by Al Coholic on 7-10-2010 at 2:29 pm

  35. Just a little correction to the article above. Harrahs no longer manages the Prairie Band Casino in kansas, management is now done by the tribe, as of last year.

    posted by Troy J on 7-11-2010 at 2:16 pm

  36. Been to Fire Rock, that place sucks. The casino is one of those temporary buildings (pretty much a tent). If gambling is supposed to be revenge on the white man, why does it seem like so many of the Navajos go there? Isn’t this like paying themselves (since the revenues get split)?

    posted by herman on 7-24-2010 at 9:09 pm

  37. Go Quinault Beach Resort Casino

    posted by shawnee on 11-22-2011 at 12:43 pm

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