Even though we are used to seeing Native Americans, the indigenous population of America, only in historical films and TV series, they still live in their native territories. Moreover, they have a lifestyle familiar to many Americans or Europeans. The main business in which Native Americans earn their living is the organization of gambling.
Nowadays, many gamblers wish to visit a tribal casino in the USA, but they simply cannot do it due to various reasons. In such a case, Zodiac casino will come in handy with its wide assortment of games and activities. More about the tribal casino phenomenon – read below.
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Emergence and Development of Tribal Casinos
The history of tribal casinos began in the 70s of the 20th century. Then one of the leaders of the Oneida tribe organized a bingo club. The prize was higher than the legal limit in New York State, where the tribe’s reservation was located. Native Americans said that the state restrictions did not apply to them, because they, as indigenous people, obey only their own laws. After that, other tribes began to organize gambling clubs.
State attorneys tried to ban gambling on the reservations, but Native Americans sued them in response. These disputes continued for several years until, in 1987, the US Supreme Court decided that state governments could not ban Native American gambling if gambling was permitted there. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Tribal Casino Act making such activities legal. Since then, all officially recognized tribes can open and operate gambling establishments in their reservations, regardless of state gambling laws.
Current State
Today, more than 450 tribal casinos operate legally in 30 out of 50 US states. The annual profits of these establishments reach $40 billion. A small part of the money earned by Native Americans is transferred to the state treasury, the rest is spent on the needs and development of the reservation.
Native American casino games can be divided into three categories:
1. Traditional games of Native American tribes, which are part of various rituals and ceremonies;
2. Bingo and board games, in which visitors play against each other. This includes some types of poker;
3. Common casino games: poker, roulette, blackjack, slot machines, horse and dog racing bets, and other activities that are not included in the first and second categories.
What is the Native American casino phenomenon?
Tribal casinos are an absolutely unique phenomenon in the gaming industry, which can not be found anywhere else in the world. This business is controlled at three levels – local, federal, and state. Despite this, none of them can somehow limit the rights of Native Americans. The coronavirus pandemic has shown this very clearly. When the US authorities imposed quarantine restrictions, most of the tribal casinos continued to operate. They explained their actions by the fact that gambling establishments are the main source of funding for reservations, and therefore it is impossible to close them.
