Indian Casinos

Casino gambling has been down a turbulent road in its attempts to become at the very least, a regulated industry – But even more so, to become a widely accepted regulated industry. Take the United States, for example, where Indian casinos are still a relatively recent phenomenon.

The year was 1998 when the U.S. Federal government gave the official authorization that would legalize casino gambling on the land of Native Americans. What many of these tribes considered to be a tremendous boost to the value of their land, was a gold mine waiting to happen for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe in Ledyard Connecticut. The Foxwoods Casino, opened by the Pequot tribe in 1992, is currently the largest and most profitable casino on the globe. With over 5,500 slot machines bringing in a daily revenue of 1.8 million per day, this should come as no surprise. To get a scope of the actual physical size of the casino, the 300,000 square foot gambling floor accomodates a payroll of 12,000.

It is clearly evident just how successful the Foxwoods Casino has been in Connecticut. But what about the vast amount of other Indian casinos that have grown in number from seventy in 1998, to over 200 currently? Although it is safe to say that many of these casinos are doing just fine, there are some struggling to stay afloat. There are many factors affecting whether an Indian casino thrives or not, which can vary from state to state. In order for Indian casino to even "be" in the first place, entails they work out a compact with the state government they reside in. California, for instance, has no such agreements with any tribes within their borders -–Thus the reason for the increased amount of litigation over Indian casino slot machines in California.

As far as the novice gambler is more presumably concerned, not all Indian casinos permit the same types of games to be played, chiefly due to these very same state regulations. For example, some Indian casinos are not permitted to use roulette wheels or dice, while others are only permitted to offer slots, or just card games and nothing else. One rule that is notoriously unfair, at least in comparison to what is offered at many casino gambling destinations, is that a player must always bank their hand, implying a commission is taken from the player every hand no matter what. Another common "tilt" on the manner of how certain gambling games are played in some Indian casinos, is when a casino does in fact offer video slot machines, they will sometimes not have actual reels, which is all good and well so long as the gambler knows ahead of time.

Does this mean the bulk of these Indian casinos are pulling strings to cheat gamblers? Considering how highly regulated the casino industry already is, probably not. Even the most dilapidated riverboat or obscure Indian casino is more than likely playing by the rules. Each state is going to insure every penny of taxable revenue from every state-wide casino is accounted for, and that their constituents do not in the slightest, feel uncomfortable or that unethical practices are taking place. However, all states do not play the same. Kansas, for instance, does not release to the public what the minimum payout percentages are required of their Indian casinos. This is not to say that Kansas is out to get anybody, or that the government has secret relations with the Russian Mafia. However, it should be every gamblers individual responsibility to know what conditions they feel comfortable gambling under.

It is apparent that casino gambling on Indian reservations is highly regulated, and varying from state to state. However, it is not so apparent how widely accepted casino gambling is. For the American gambling enthusiast not near a riverboat casino or Indian reservation, it only makes sense to gamble at an online casino, which is itself going through a regulatory onslaught. Until the day when casino gambling is more widely accepted in the land of the free, at this point the motto is, "Have Indian reservation, will gamble".