Oklahoma has long been synonymous with Bingo. This is due to the fact that the Amerindian tribes of Oklahoma have operated Bingo games for years. Clients from many of the neighboring states pile in vans and travel into Oklahoma to gamble on Bingo for the weekends.
The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act became law after a landmark decision by The U.S. Supreme Court just the prior year. Since that time, 23 of the 39 Indian bands of Oklahoma have opened gambling halls. The Chickasaw were the initial Oklahoma Indian band to take advantage of the gaming laws, and today control 10 casinos of their own. Bingo was the game on which these casinos were built on. Electronic games such as slot machines weren’t authorized, on the grounds that they are thought to contribute to gambling addiction more than bingo.
In the past few years, Oklahoma rules have changed to permit enormous Indian gambling gambling halls. You’ll now discover Indian casinos with slot machines, video poker and chemin de fer tables. Craps and roulette are not approved in the Amerindian gambling dens yet, although this is simply a waiting game. Nobody can say what having different gambling den games in the bingo parlors will do for the appeal of bingo.
