A Guide to Native American Casinos in the USA
While Nevada is famous globally, the vast majority of physical casino locations in the United States are actually located on tribal lands.
The existence of these massive tribal resorts is the result of decades of complex legal battles and federal legislation.
How Tribal Casinos Became Legal
The federal government passed the IGRA to establish a clear legal framework allowing tribes to operate casinos on their sovereign reservations.
Class II gaming encompasses bingo and electronic games that function mathematically like bingo, requiring very little state oversight.
- These state compacts dictate exactly how much revenue the tribe must share with the local state government in exchange for holding a monopoly
- Because they operate on sovereign land, tribal casinos are generally exempt from many standard state taxes and corporate regulations
- This sovereign status is why a massive, full-scale casino can exist legally in a state where commercial gambling is otherwise strictly prohibited
The Mechanics of Class II Bingo Slots
A common complaint from tourists is that the slot machines in certain tribal casinos feel ‘weird’ or behave unexpectedly.
In a Class II tribal machine, pressing ‘Spin’ enters you into a networked game of bingo against everyone else playing in the casino.
| Gaming Class | Game Types Included | Regulatory Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Class II | Bingo, Pull-Tabs, ‘Bingo’ Slots | Tribe-regulated with Federal oversight (No State Compact needed) |
| Class III | Vegas Slots, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette | Requires a heavily negotiated State Compact |
From the massive Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut to small bingo halls in the Midwest, tribal gaming is incredibly diverse.