Indian Casinos

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Non-Stop Action. The Pechanga Resort and Casino has the largest casino floor in California totaling 188,000 sq ft. The casino features over 5,000 slot machines, 158 table games, a non-smoking poker room with 38 tables, and an ultra-modern, 700-seat bingo facility. 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. Both have over 3,800 slot machines. If not in the top ten, many of Southern California’s other casinos are. Horseshoe Hammond. #1 of 1 Casinos & Gambling in Hammond. “Great atmospheric. San Manuel Casino has revolutionized the West Coast gaming market with its elegant and spacious High Limit Slots and Tables gaming rooms, designed and staffed with the high-limit player in mind. These intimate rooms feature an array of amenities designed for a best-in-class gaming experience. 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.

Indian gaming
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Alternative Title: Native American gaming

Indian gaming, in the United States, gambling enterprises that are owned by federally recognized Native American tribal governments and that operate on reservation or other tribal lands. Indian gaming includes a range of business operations, from full casino facilities with slot machines and Las Vegas-style high-stakes gambling to smaller facilities offering games such as bingo, lotteries, and video poker. Because U.S. laws recognize certain forms of tribal sovereignty and self-government, native-owned casinos enjoy some immunity from direct regulation by individual states. However, tribal gaming operations must comply with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 and other federal laws.

History

The first Indian casino was built in Florida by the Seminole tribe, which opened a successful high-stakes bingo parlour in 1979. Other indigenous nations quickly followed suit, and by 2000 more than 150 tribes in 24 states had opened casino or bingo operations on their reservations.

The first years of the 21st century saw precipitous growth: by 2005, annual revenues had reached more than $22 billion, and Indian gaming accounted for about 25 percent of all legal gambling receipts in the United States. This was about the same amount generated by the country’s aggregate state lotteries, albeit somewhat less than the 40 percent share generated by commercial casinos in Nevada, Florida, and New Jersey. Notably—and unlike gambling operations run by non-Indians—tribal casinos are required by law to contribute a percentage of their annual revenue to state-controlled trust funds. These funds are then distributed to local communities to offset costs related to the subsidiary effects of tribal gaming operations, such as the expansion or maintenance of transportation, electrical, or sewage systems and other forms of infrastructure; the need for increased traffic patrols; and treatment for gambling addiction. Some of these funds are also distributed as assistance to tribes that do not have gaming operations.

The prosperity of Indian gaming operations depends to a great extent on location; those near or in major urban areas can be very successful, while those in remote areas (where many reservations are located) tend to generate much less revenue. Although tribes with successful operations have been able to use gaming income to improve the general health, education, and cultural well-being of their members, many Indian casinos have not made significant profits. Thus, the success of some operations on some reservations cannot be generalized to all casinos or all reservations. To the contrary, U.S. census data consistently indicate that the legalization of Indian gaming has not affected the indigenous population in aggregate: Native Americans remain the most impoverished and underprivileged minoritycommunity in the United States.

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Indian gaming has been at the centre of political controversy since the late 1970s. In many cases the debate has revolved around the morality or immorality of gambling; this issue, of course, is not unique to Indian gaming in particular. Controversies involving Indian gaming operations per se have generally focused instead on whether the unique legal status of tribes, which allows them the privilege of owning and operating such businesses, should be retained or discontinued; whether Indians have sufficient acumen or training to run such businesses; whether engaging in entrepreneurial capitalism inherently undercuts indigenous ethnic identities; and whether gaming is a desirable addition to a specific local economy.

Tribal sovereignty

The unusual legal status of Native American tribes was determined by the U.S. Supreme Court in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831). In that decision, the court defined tribes as “domestic sovereign nations,” meaning that their continued political viability was inherently reliant on the federal government. As a result of this decision, a preponderance of policy issues related to the regulation of Native American economics, politics, religion, education—and indeed all aspects of indigenous life—are ultimately overseen by the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and decided in the federal court system.

Most important in the context of gaming, the U.S. government, while holding ultimate control over tribal matters, delegated to state governments the ability to negotiate compacts (contracts) with tribes seeking to establish casinos. These compacts allow states to take a percentage of casino revenues, which may be between 10 and 25 percent of total profits. Not surprisingly, the politics surrounding the negotiation of many of these compacts has been intense, with tribes arguing against states treating their casino ventures as a source of “free” revenue with which to offset state budgetary deficits.

Although indigenous nations have lost most federal court battles, Indian gaming is one area in which the judiciary has generally found in favour of tribes. Supporters of Indian casinos emphasize that the gaming profits that rest upon such legal decisions have, for the first time since colonization, allowed some native communities to become economically independent and thereby to take positive steps toward self-determination, community building, and political empowerment. By contrast, opponents believe that the unique legal status of tribes is unfair, unnecessary, or, in some cases, simply an undesirable artifact of judicial history.

Business acumen and fraud

Another area of contention concerns the business savvy of Indians. Critics charge that tribal governments have been repeatedly defrauded by corrupt bureaucrats, staff, board members, consultants, and the like; according to the same critics, this has happened in large part because tribal members are inept or uneducated and tend to factionalize when dealing with controversy. Such paternalistic arguments are sometimes augmented by invoking historical data that show casinos, restaurants, and other cash-based businesses to be particularly susceptible to embezzlement or to being co-opted by organized crime. Those who believe that tribal ineptitude is a reason to prohibit Indian gaming cite the example of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his colleagues, noting that they charged tribes some $85 million between 1995 and 2004 to promote and protect Indian gaming interests—even as they lobbied against those interests.

Proponents of Indian gaming agree that many tribes have been defrauded over the past several centuries but argue that such losses result from the activities of criminals and others of shady intent rather than from indigenous gullibility. They point out that many people were exploited by the Abramoff ring and that it was so deeply entwined with the federal government that nothing short of a major investigation would have exposed it. Indeed, officials from the House of Representatives, Department of the Interior, and White House subsequently served prison time for their roles in the Abramoff scandal, while Representative Tom DeLay, House majority leader (2003–05), resigned in its wake (but admitted no culpability). With such examples in mind, advocates for Indian gaming argue that, both legally and morally, native nations should be treated no differently than are state governments and private casino owners and hence should be allowed to profit from (and risk capital in) gambling in the same ways.

Quick Facts

Find detailed information on US casinos in every state - both land-based and online. Our experts have compiled information regarding states who legalized onlinecasinos and details about all legal USA online casinos. We have provided knowledge on gambling specifics for each state and what types of casinos are legal in each particular state. OnAmerican Casino Guide, you will find detailed lists of every US casino resort, riverboat casino and Indian casino in the country. Just choose a state from the below list of UScasinos-by-state in order to bring up detailed information on what types of casinos are available in the respective state, a list of all casinos within the state borders, and slot machine payback statistics for all US casinos.

Click here to see Maps of Casino Locations in Every U.S. State

Online gambling guide

The states who have now moved forward with legal online gambling are as follows:

Legal online casino:

  • Delaware
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania

Legal online poker:

  • Nevada
  • Delaware
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania

Legal Online Sportsbooks:

  • Rhode Island
  • West Virginia
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania

USA online casinos

The online casino USA market is definitely starting to grow. The domino effect is taking place, now that states are seeing the financial benefits of legal online casinos. The laws surroundingUSA online casinos are specific to the state where they are licensed. Ultimately it is up to the state to decide whether or not to legalize online casinos. We have seen the biggest impact oflegalizing online casinos in the state of New Jersey thus far.

In New Jersey, the online casino market is flourishing. There is a long list of legal online casinos - all of which are remaining competitive in this flourishing market. The current list oflegal NJ Casinos are as follows:

  • Golden Nugget
  • Virgin Online Casino
  • Caesars Casino Online
  • Borgata Online
  • Tropicana Online
  • SugarHouse Online Casino
  • Betfair NJ
  • 888 NJ
  • Pala Online Casino
  • Harrah’s Online Casino
  • Resorts Online Casino
  • Mohegan Sun Online
  • DraftKings Casino
  • Party Casino
  • PlayMGM
  • Ocean Resort Online
  • PokerStars NJ
  • Hard Rock Online
  • BetAmerica
  • Unibet Casino

Legal online casino gambling was recently just passed through legislation in Pennsylvania, meaning online casinos are on their way in the Keystone State. The projected list of online casinos in Pennsylvania are as follows:

  • Harrah’s
  • Hollywood at Penn National
  • Mount Airy
  • Parx
  • SugarHouse
  • Valley Forge
  • Presque Isle Downs
  • Sands Bethlehem
  • Stadium Park Philly Live! Casino
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono
  • MGM Resorts
  • Golden Nugget NJ

The only other state in America with legal online casino gambling is in fact, Delaware, and just like the state’s size, the list is quite small. The legal online casinos inDelaware are as follows:

  • Delaware Park Online
  • Dover Downs
  • Harrington Online

Here at American Casino Guide, we have thorough reviews on each legal online casino in the USA. In our comprehensive online casino reviews, you will find useful information about eachsite and how it affects you as a player. Review briefs on the game selections offered at each site along with some of their most popular game titles.Learn about the software providers and interface design of these sites as well as their mobile apps and how efficient each application runs. See the banking options allowed at each site so thatyou can be sure your preferred withdrawal and deposit methods are available on your favorite online casinos. And finally, see what kinds of casino bonuses and specialpromotions are being offered at these casinos so that you can achieve the maximum amount of free play on your favorite casino games!

American Casino Guide - land-based establishments

There are many different kinds of casinos throughout the United States. Depending on your location in the country, there could be a mix of the following casinos:

  • Indian casinos
  • Pari-mutuel casinos
  • Land-based casinos
  • Riverboat casinos
  • Casino boats

Just choose a state from the American casino guide below, organized by state, and have a look at the detailed information of each. The information provided includes:

  • List of every casino in the state
  • Details about each casino
  • Forms of casino gambling available in that state
  • Slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos

Indian Casinos In California

Each casino listing will explain its hours of operation, games offered, hotel rates, buffet prices, minimum gambling age, photos, maps, directions and more! You can even read and write your ownreview for each casino.

LISTED BELOW ARE LINKS TO ALL CASINOS IN EVERY STATE

Casinos

Indian Casinos

Indian Casinos Near Me

Indian casinos, also known as Tribal casinos, are usually located on federally recognized Indian reservations. They range in size from small truck stops and convenience storesto some of the largest casinos in the country. At a small truck stop casino, you would generally find a handful of machines and these would be located in places such as Oklahoma or Wisconsin.Connecticut is home to one of the world’s largest casinos - Foxwoods Casino.

Different states have different legal agreements regarding Indian casinos. Depending on the agreement made, these Indian casinos can offer either Class II gaming or Class IIIgaming.

Class III (Class 3) gaming is what most people would describe as “normal” casino gaming. This is kind of casino gambling you would find at the majority of casinos in the country, such as LasVegas. Class III gaming involves the player playing against “the house” like in blackjack, craps, roulette, or any other table game, as well as slot machines.

Class II (Class 2) gaming, on the other hand, is slightly different. These are games where players compete against other players such as in poker and bingo. Over the years,casinos have found ways around this to offer other casino games similar to Class III games, however, adhering still to Class II rules. A great example of this would be Class II slot machinesthat closely resemble a normal, Class III machine but you will notice a small bingo card in the corner of the screen. So, in essence, you are actually playing a quicker version of virtual bingoagainst other players in the casino. The reels spin and you can see winning combinations. The reels, however, are “for entertainment purposes only” and your chances of winning are basedentirely on the bingo card in the corner.

Another example of Class II games would be player-banked table games where a player would compete against other players rather than against the casino. These look identical to traditional tablegames. The difference lays in the fact that players have to pay an ante of around $0.50-$1 per hand. In most cases there is someone who supplies the money to be the “bank” and the only moneythe casino receives is the ante made by each player.

Indian Casinos Montana

Pari-Mutuel Casinos

Some states such as Arkansas or Delaware only allow casinos in pari-mutuel facilities. Pari-mutuel refers to locations with legalized wagering on horse or dog races; or inFlorida, jai-alai games. Since a vast majority of pari-mutuel facilities in the United States are racetracks, these types of casinos are often also known as “racinos,” a combination of thewords racetrack and casino.

Besides having legal on-property betting on horse racing, dog racing or jai-alai, these casinos are almost identical to most other land-based casinos. However, depending on the laws of thestates where they are located, some may not offer live table games, or may only have slot machines.

Indian

A somewhat new development at pari-mutuel facilities in states where traditional casino gambling is illegal is something called “historical racing machines.” These are considered Class IImachines similar to the bingo-based machines at many Indian casinos but instead of being based on a bingo card, the results of these games are based on racing results from previous horse races.

Indian

Land-Based Casinos

500 Nations Indian Casinos

Land-based casinos refer to the typical casinos that people often think of when they think of a casino. An example of this would a popular casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Casino gamblingwas legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City. It is theseland-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos came along in the 1990s.

Riverboat Casino Locations

Riverboat casinos are exactly what they sound like - casinos located inside riverboats. These are found in many states throughout the South and the Midwest such as Illinois,Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Mississippi. However, they have evolved over the years as the laws and regulations have been quite relaxed. Originally, they were required to leave the dock andcruise for several hours periodically throughout the day. In the beginning, some states even required the casinos to enact loss limits during these cruises.

California Indian Casinos

Eventually, the loss limits were lifted, as were the requirements for them to cruise periodically, and they began operations constantly docked on the river. Some states later allowed thecasinos to be built on floating barges in man-made lagoons fed from the rivers. That is where most of the states are now, however some states such as Mississippi have now allowed their“riverboat” casinos to operate on land. As much as that does not make sense, the rules still require these facilities to be built within a certain distance from the water.

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