In 1987 the U.S. Supreme Court recognized that as sovereign political entities, Native American tribes could operate gaming facilities free of state regulation. Congress soon enacted the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which sets the terms for how Native American tribes are permitted to operate casinos and bingo parlours. Tribes such as the Mashantucket Pequots in Connecticut near large cities have been particularly successful. Generally, a tribe is permitted to operate gaming facilities if anyone in the state is permitted to.
When the law came into effect there was hope that tribally operated casinos would provide a source of much needed income to Native American communities and serve as a basis for ongoing reservation economic development. Many tribes have seen substantial improvements in their ability to provide public services to their members, building schools, making infratructural improvements, and shoring up disappearing tribal culture. Tribal gaming operations have not been without controversy, however. A small number of tribes have been able to distribute large per capita payments, generating considerable public attention. Some observers allege that businessmen have frequently established joint ventures with tribes on terms that have left meager funding for Native Americans. Others describe examples of small groups of people with dubious Native American heritage who have been able to register a tribe solely for the purpose of establishing a tax-exempt casino.
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Further reading
- Brett Duval Fromson, Hitting the Jackpot: The Inside Story of the Richest Indian Tribe in History, Atlantic Monthly Press, September, 2003, hardcover, 320 pages, ISBN 0871139049; hardcover, Gale Group, February, 2004, hardcover, 366 pages, ISBN 0786262117
