Oklahoma has for a long time been synonymous with Bingo. That is because the Native bands of Oklahoma have run Bingo sessions for decades. Patrons from each of the neighboring states load up in vans and head over to Oklahoma to bet on Bingo over the weekends.
The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) followed a landmark determination by The U.S. Supreme Court just the year before. Since that instance, 23 of the 39 Native tribes located in Oklahoma have established bingo halls. The Chickasaw were the first Oklahoma Indian band to take advantage of the betting rules, and today run ten gambling halls of their own. Bingo was the game on which these gambling halls were built on. digital games such as one armed bandits were not approved, because they are believed to lead to gambling dependency more than bingo.
In the past few years, Oklahoma law has altered to allow for big Amerindian wagering gambling halls. You’ll now find Indian gambling halls with slot machine games, video poker and 21 tables. Craps and roulette are not yet legal in the Native gambling halls yet, but this is only a waiting game. No one can authority what having different games in the bingo parlors will do for the popularity of bingo.
