While corporations or billionaires own casinos in places like Las Vegas, tribes are sovereign nations that operate them under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The law was intended to help impoverished tribes build a sustainable economy. Giving Pala Casino Spa and Resort fourth place is a bit misleading. Pala, with its four-diamond hotel and large casino, is the prototypical Indian casino that harkens to the Vegas experience. It features great dining, top-name entertainment, and exquisite amenities. Many casinos close to L.A. And San Diego have over 2,000 slot machines, and over 100 table games in beautiful resort settings. In fact, two Southern California casinos, the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino, and Pechanga Resort & Casino, are two of the top ten biggest casinos in the United States. As of December 31, 1996, there were 184 tribes operating 281 gaming facilities on and off reservations. 24 states have Indian gaming; of these, 14 have casinos on Indian reservations. In 8 of these states, the only casinos in the state are on Indian reservations.
- Indian Casino Directory
- Pa Indian Reservation Casinos
- Casinos And Indian Reservations
- Casinos And Indian Reservations Near
- Casinos And Indian Reservations Atlantic City
- Casinos And Indian Reservations Confirmation
- Casinos And Indian Reservations Reservation
QUESTION: What is the Difference in Gambling at Indian Reservations and Regular Casinos?
Indian Casino Directory
ANSWER: In the world of brick-and-mortar gambling, there are traditional casinos and then there are Indian reservation casinos (or Indian Casinos). At first glance, the two might not seem much different, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a whole host of distinctions.
Knowing the difference in gambling at Indian reservations casinos and regular casinos might not make much difference to your bankroll, but it should provide you with a greater understanding of how the industry works. And for those who take their gaming seriously, every scrap of information is valuable on some level.
- Best Casino for Live Dealer Games
- Accepts all Countries and US States
Distinctions between Traditional and Native American Gambling
The items listed below are some of the most notable differences between gambling in Las Vegas and at a Native American casino. The next time you decide to go on a gaming road trip, give both locations a try and see if you can spot additional variations.
Location – The most fundamental difference is related to location. As the name would indicate, Indian reservation casinos are always located on lands set aside by the government for the use of specific Native American tribes. Regular casinos, meanwhile, can exist on any other property.
The total geographical area of reservation land equals 2.3% of the total area of the United States. Some tribes have multiple reservations allotted to them, while around 200 of the nation’s 550+ recognized Indian tribes have no land at all.
Revenue – While Las Vegas and Atlantic City would hate to admit it, the annual revenue from casinos on Indian reservations exceeds the combined totals for gaming in both cities. In 2009, for example, Native American locations pulled in $26.5 billion across 28 states.
Selection of Games – Most reservation casinos offer the same games as their competition. Some states have different laws though, so you might not find certain table games in a particular casino, for example. Or the way the slot machines work might vary. (See our post about Class II and Class III slot machines for more details about that.)
Payback Percentage – This is the biggest difference between gambling at regular casinos and Indian reservations. In many states (Connecticut is a notable exception), Native American -Indian- casinos are not required to report their payback percentages, which means the number could be decidedly unfriendly to the player. However, any Indian reservation casino manager will tell you that their rates are on a par with the competition, and there may be some truth to that. After all, a lower payback percentage on slots and other electronic games means fewer winners. Over time, a casino with a reputation for paying out less will begin to lose business. Whether they offer a 75% or 90% payback, the casino is still going to turn a profit.
Size – When it comes to the overall size of a brick-and-mortar gaming establishment, the folks in Atlantic City, Reno, and Las Vegas have a hard time competing with casinos built on Indian lands. Much of this has to do with location, as regular casinos have to build in cities that are already filled with everything from residential housing to shopping malls. Indian land is more wide open, which makes it easier to allot massive tracts of land for construction.
Today, the second largest casino in the United States is the Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Reservation in Ledyard, Connecticut. It has over 6,300 slot machines, 380 table games, and the biggest bingo hall on the planet. The largest U.S. casino (WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma) is owned by the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, although it is not located on an Indian reservation.
Legality – While traditional land-based casinos are subject to all state and federal laws, a 1979 Supreme Court decision ruled that states could not regulate activities on Indian reservations or tax their occupants. This was bolstered by a 1987 decision that said casino activities could not be state regulated as long as the type of gambling offered was legal in the state.
Pa Indian Reservation Casinos
The law was further defined by the Indian Gambling Regulatory Act, which requires Indian tribes to consult the state before offering casino gaming. In the case of an impasse, the Secretary of the Interior is called upon to mediate and make an eventual ruling.
The revenue from casinos on Indian reservations is meant to be spent on charitable ventures and tribal government operations. In some cases, however, the profits eventually find their way into the hands of tribal members, although you can count on the state and federal government getting their cut.
Cultural Considerations – While traditional casinos offer a wide variety of themes, visitors to gambling locations on reservations should expect a certain Native American flair to the décor. This isn’t always true, of course, but tribal leaders tend to be proud of their heritage and make every effort to provide displays and exhibits to educate their customers. At the very least, some basic decorations in the Native American tradition can usually be spotted in certain locations throughout the establishment.
Other cultural issues sometimes relate to traditional Indian beliefs and superstitions. An interesting example occurred when the Fire Rock Navajo Casino was under construction in New Mexico. Numerous problems led some to believe that the endeavor was being cursed by skin-walkers, magical practitioners adept at turning into animals and generally behaving in a sinister fashion. The construction continued, however, and the CEO of the casino later assured visitors that various blessings had been performed to ward off evil. Despite possible efforts from the forces of evil, the casino is still in operation.
Management – While you might suppose that casinos on Indian reservations are managed by members of the tribe, you would be wrong in many cases. In this way, gambling at Indian reservations isn’t much different than regular casinos, as they want to bring in experts who can squeeze every ounce of profit out of the business. For example, Harrah’s manages one such location in North Carolina, and Donald Trump once tried his hand at managing a reservation casino in California.
![Casinos And Indian Reservations Casinos And Indian Reservations](https://www.indianz.com/IndianGaming/2015/06/12/northernquest.jpg)
Next time someone is wondering about the differences in playing at Indian Casinos and regular casinos you’ll be able to provide an appropriate and informed answer. Armed with this knowledge, serious players can then make a determination about the best place to play.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — When the Kalispel Tribe of Indians closed its casino as the coronavirus took hold in Washington state, it essentially shut down its economy.
That difficult choice has played out nationwide as some 500 Native American casinos have voluntarily closed during the pandemic, often taking away tribes’ main source of income in an effort to protect people’s health in communities with limited medical resources.
Casinos And Indian Reservations
The U.S. government authorized $8 billion for tribes in a coronavirus relief package in March, when most casinos closed, but it’s been slow to distribute the money, deepening the woes on reservations.
How to play genies and gems. “We can’t fund any programs without the casino” — no health care, education, law enforcement or fire protection, said Phil Haugen, chief operating officer of the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority.
Its Northern Quest Casino near Spokane closed for nearly two months, costing the tribe millions of dollars. But with restrictions starting to loosen nationwide, the casino reopened Tuesday with limits on the number of customers, frequent cleaning, and fewer slot machines and chairs at table games to ensure social distancing.
While other Native American-owned casinos have reopened or plan to in coming weeks, most are still closed. That’s also forced layoffs and furloughs among the more than 1 million people working for tribes, many of them in casinos.
Furloughed workers had been getting by with unemployment benefits and health coverage that many casinos kept in place, said John DelMonte, president of UAW Local 2121, a union representing 1,200 card dealers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
“We want to get back to work,″ said DelMonte, a casino employee.
On Sunday, Foxwoods released a statement saying the company was temporarily laying off a majority of its workforce without benefits beginning May 31.
While the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation says it’s losing millions of dollars a week, protecting workers is paramount. DelMonte said the tribe is listening to state officials as it decides when to reopen.
Casinos And Indian Reservations Near
“Everybody is taking this pretty serious. That’s a good thing,″ he said. “To open and close again would be terrible. Better safe than sorry.″
It’s not clear when Foxwoods or the Mohegan Sun casino, also in Connecticut, will be back in business. The state plans to start easing coronavirus restrictions on May 20.
More than 5,000 employees at the casino complex owned by the Mohegan Tribe — nearly the entire workforce — have been furloughed but kept their health benefits, casino president Jeff Hamilton said.
He did not have a firm number on financial losses, “but we’re in an environment where there’s no revenue.”
“I don’t know that you ever make up lost revenue, and I think the concern is that ‘How is business impacted for the foreseeable future?’” Hamilton said. “Because you put an open sign up, doesn’t mean that everything is back to normal.”
In Oklahoma, many tribal governments that shut down casinos in mid-March kept paying employees. The Cherokee Nation said it’s costing the tribe $30 million to $40 million a month to pay salaries and expenses while casinos and other businesses are shuttered.
Casinos And Indian Reservations Atlantic City
In New Mexico, Native American-owned casinos that provide $820 million in annual revenue to 14 tribes have been shut down.
“I know for a fact that brings into question the economic stability of those tribes that have gaming operations,” said Democratic state Rep. Derrick Lente, a tribal member from the Sandia Pueblo, which has shuttered its casino on the outskirts of Albuquerque.
While corporations or billionaires own casinos in places like Las Vegas, tribes are sovereign nations that operate them under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The law was intended to help impoverished tribes build a sustainable economy.
It’s difficult to find accurate numbers for casino revenue and the programs it supports because tribes generally don’t give that information. Tribal gambling operations closed about two months ago, so the effects are just starting to be felt.
Casinos And Indian Reservations Confirmation
However, a team of Harvard researchers recently released preliminary results of a study on the pandemic’s impact on the 574 federally recognized tribes. The report said tribes initially closed all their casinos, spanning 29 states, and many non-gambling businesses.
Casinos And Indian Reservations Reservation
“In the wake of these closures, tribes are facing massive layoffs .. dipping into hard‐earned assets and building up debt,″ the researchers wrote.
In Washington state, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians told members it only has enough money to fund benefits and services through the end of June. The Tacoma-based tribe runs two large casinos, where 85% of employees had been laid off or furloughed.
On the other side of the state, the tiny Kalispel Tribe struggled for decades to eke out a living on the small, isolated reservation near the Idaho border before building the casino to have “some sort of economy,″ Haugen said.
The business allowed the tribe to open a wellness center that’s dramatically improved the life expectancy of members, said Nick Pierre, general manager of the casino. It employs tribal members and others and funds language programs and a facility for elders.
“There’s not an entity on the Kalispel Tribe’s reservation that hasn’t been positively impacted by casino revenues since Northern Quest opened in 2000,” said Curt Holmes, a Tribal Council member.
___
Associated Press reporters Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed.