Native Americans have long been at an economic disadvantage, primarily because reservation lands have been far removed from mainstream society and unable to provide reasonable economic opportunity. But the gaming industry has changed that, transforming reservations from poverty-stricken wastelands to economic powerhouses. In fact, government estimates show annual revenues from Indian gaming in excess of $16 billion.

How It All Began

Indian Gaming by kla4067

The history of Native American gaming can be traced to a Chippewa couple living in northern Minnesota in the 1970s. Faced with a county property tax bill, the couple insisted that the sovereignty of Indian lands freed them from tax liability. The case went to court, and the county prevailed both at the state level and with the Minnesota Supreme Court.

However, upon review by the U.S. Supreme Court, a unanimous decision by the federal justices upheld the couple’s claim of tribal sovereignty. So sweeping was the decision, it opened the door for Indian reservations to conduct any number of business activities without having to comply with individual state laws. The birth of Indian gaming had arrived.

Congress Steps In

Following the Supreme Court decision, various tribes in Florida and California began gaming enterprises by opening bingo halls. If state law was violated, local police agencies responded by raiding them, seizing assets, and shutting them down. Yet time and again, courts sided in favor of the reservations. Finally, in order to clarify once and for all how Indian gaming was to be regulated, the U.S. Congress intervened after nudging by the Supreme Court.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988, dividing various gaming operations into three classes based on the types of games being played and the amount of money changing hands. The various classes of gaming are regulated by Congress without state intervention. Only when a specific state does not recognize a particular class of gaming within their jurisdiction do they have the right to step in.

Congress Acts Again

In order to protect non-Indian enterprises now being economically threatened, Congress intervened again in 2006 by passing legislation to tightly control the establishment of new gaming operations not located on reservation soil. Furthermore, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has directed Congress to be more vigilant in this area. From these actions, it appears that tribal business is once again under assault. Undoubtedly, as Indian leaders sense their sovereignty being threatened the courts will see an increase in gaming cases. Only time will tell the future of Native American gaming.

Indian gaming casinos have been quite successful since their inception. Though there has been a small decline in revenues in the last year, it is more to do with economic slow down rather than a reflection on the support enjoyed by these gaming enterprises from their loyal customers. In fact, Indian gaming facilities are closing the gap with commercial casinos that have suffered a big fall in their earnings lately. The top two states are California and Oklahoma which generated 38% of the total revenue generated by tribal casinos.

The popularity of Indian casinos has in fact been on the up swingwith total number of casino and bingo halls touching nearly 500 today. Of the country’s 562 tribes, 233 operate Indian gaming facilities in 28 states of the country. In 2009, the total revenue generated by Indian casinos was about $26.5 billion. Out of every $10 waged by citizens at these casinos, $4 goes to the tribes. Indian casinos have so far generated more than 700000 jobs and collectively they pay billions of dollars in taxes to the state and federal governments. There are many very famous Indian casinos, and out of these some of the top listed ones are as below.

• Viejas Casino in Alpine (CA)
• Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket (CT)
• Mohegan Sun in Uncasville (CT)
• Jackpot Junction in Morton (MN)
• Chumash casino Resort in Santa Ynez (CA)
• Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside (CA)
• Island Resort casino in Harris (MI)
• San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland (CA)
• Potawatomi Bingo and casino in Milwaukee (WI)

It was in the 70’s that native Indian tribes decided to open gaming enterprises that led to opposition from both state and federal governments. Finally, Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 was passed that legalized gaming operations started by tribals. Today there are more than 300 such casinos operating in the country. Judging by their success after a few years of their operation, it can be said that these gaming enterprises have generated employment for the poor which has increased by 26% while the population of the tribals has gone up by 12%.

This increase in economic activity has had effect on health also, and on an average mortality has fallen by about 2% in areas where these gaming enterprises are operating. However, casinos have their cons also and it has been seen that these casinos have led to a series of bankruptcies, violent crimes, auto thefts and many petty crimes that have gone up by 10% in all such areas. In some cases, gambling has been extremely beneficial as it has led to prosperity in the tribes living in the surrounding areas but at the same time it has made tribals poorer in many cases.

It has been observed that even in those cases where gambling hasled to an increase in economic activities, it has been mainly because of an i9nflux of tourists to the area. Casinos do create jobs and increase independence in tribals leading to less dependence upon welfare schemes of the federal and state governments. Many tribes have been able to improve their living standards because of gambling. The common underlying phenomenon is that casinos stimulate economy by increasing economic activities such as hotels, pubs, bars and restaurants which become self sustaining in the long run. This is evident from the functioning of golf courses and entertainment centers that run independent of gaming enterprises later on.

Poker is a fascinating game of cards that is played in all casinos worldwide. Though it looks simple, there are many skills that a new player needs to master before he can become successful in poker. If you are playing with other players in a tournament, there are many skills that can turn the tide in your favor if your try to master them with practice. While some take time to develop, there are some that are mere common sense but you need to take care of them while playing. Here are a few of the necessary skills.

Ability to recognize a good hand

One of the folly of the beginners when they start is to play too many hands. In the early rounds, it is enough to play top 10-15 starting hands and this number can be slowly increased as the tournament progresses. This number is always dependent upon the number of players remaining in game play at any stage of the tournament.

Ability to read the minds of the opponents

There are many kinds of players such as aggressive, passive, excited, tight as well as loose players and it is only by practice that you can anticipate their cards by keeping an eye on their facial expressions. This is one skill that helps a lot in a poker game.

Ability to play hands properly

This is a necessary skill that enables a poker player to play well in early, middle as well as end positions in a hand of poker. The player has to learn from experience when to give in, when to be aggressive, and when to make a strong move. The player has to learn when the time to steal from any position is.

Mix and match

This means that a player should never adopt same style in all situations so as to give clues to the opponents and should always be flexible in his approach. It is necessary to hide your instincts from the opponents so that they do not play guessing games with you. This happens when a player adopts different betting strategies rather than sticking to a set pattern.

If you are excited by gambling and wish to try your hand at casinos, whether physical or online, it is better to know about all the games that are played in these casinos before making a move. Now there are scores of games available in a casino, and which ones make you interested is an entirely personal choice. Every season, there is a new variation of an old game that takes the centre stage and becomes extremely popular. However, there are some games that are evergreen and never fail to lose their charm.

Slot machines

These slot machines are integral to all casinos and are crowd pullers. They also bring respite to a gambler when he is tired after a grueling round of backgammon or any other table game. These games are chance based and so even novices can play at these slots with the same probability of winning like an old pro. There is no pressure like table games and one just bets based upon his intuition. Since the jackpot is too high on these slot machines, it brings a rush of adrenaline when a gambler tries his luck on a slot machine.

Card games

Seasoned gamblers prefer to sit on tables where a number of card games are played. These games are a little more complex and require tactics and skills on the part of the player. Some of the most popular card games are poker and blackjack.

Random number games

These are also very popular games in any casino. The most popular of these games is roulette which has a long history in many countries of the world. Some of the number games are ticket based such as Bingo or Keno.