| Casinos are nothing new and they can be found | | | | not have any regulatory authority when it |
| just about anywhere your travels take you in | | | | comes to Indian reservation casinos. |
| the United States. The state of Arizona is | | | | |
| no different. If you live in Arizona or have | | | | The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 |
| traveled there, you have likely passed by one | | | | permitted states and Indian Tribes to be |
| or more of the ever popular casinos in the | | | | able to regulate Class III Tribal gaming, |
| desert southwest. | | | | which is inclusive of games such as |
| | | | blackjack, slot machines, keno and other such |
| A study done by NAU (Northern Arizona | | | | related casino style games. |
| University) confirmed the popularity through | | | | |
| an extensive research project. NAU | | | | During the early 1990s, there were several |
| researched gaming and when the study was | | | | Arizona Tribes that had installed slot |
| completed, the results were very clear. The | | | | machines in their casinos even though none of |
| report indicated that one-third of all | | | | them had Tribal-State Gaming Compacts with |
| Arizonans responded that they too, had | | | | the state. The then Arizona governor, Fife |
| gambled in a casino in Arizona. | | | | Symington, believed that Indian reservations |
| | | | should not have casinos because at that time, |
| In 1988, the U.S. It was Congress who passed | | | | Arizona didn't permit any gambling that was |
| an act which later became known as the Indian | | | | considered off-reservation. |
| Gaming Regulatory Act, also referred to as | | | | |
| IGRA. IGRA has long recognized the popular | | | | Tribes contended that Arizona was already |
| entertainment form of gaming and has used it | | | | permitting gambling by allowing gambling acts |
| as a means to promote economic development of | | | | such as horse and dog racing, charity bingo |
| many Indian Tribes. | | | | games, as well as the state lotteries that |
| | | | were readily available. |
| Many people feel that casinos have been the | | | | |
| answer to the Native Americans becoming self | | | | The National Indian Gaming Commission issued |
| sufficient and promoting each of the Tribes | | | | rules that clarified these rules in 1992, |
| government through their profited monies from | | | | which said that a Tribe must have a gaming |
| these Arizona casinos. | | | | Compact with a state before it is allowed to |
| | | | operate slot machines on its land. |
| The AIGA organization represents the | | | | |
| membership of some 19 Tribes and represent 90 | | | | Following this ruling, the Arizona Governor |
| percent of the Native American Indians who | | | | called on the United States Attorney in |
| live on the reservations within the sate of | | | | Phoenix, Arizona, to proceed to shut down any |
| Arizona. This organization was created to | | | | and all casinos that had slot machines. It |
| help both protect and promote the welfare of | | | | was like something that you would see in a |
| Native American Indian Tribes. Their focus | | | | movie. FBI agents raided several Indian |
| has been, and still is, is to help their | | | | gaming casinos and seized their gaming slot |
| members strive to be self reliant. | | | | machines. |
| | | | |
| The organization stands by their belief that | | | | At the Fort McDowell Casino located near |
| they are most definitely committed to both | | | | Scottsdale, Arizona, many of the Native |
| maintaining and protecting the Indian | | | | American Tribal members tried to prevent |
| sovereign government authority. The | | | | these agents from removing their slot |
| Regulatory Act permits any state to be able | | | | machines by forming a blockade which resulted |
| to operate Native American Indian gaming on | | | | in a three week long standoff. |
| the reservations as long as the state permits | | | | |
| such gaming activities off-reservation. | | | | One year later in 1993, the governor signed |
| | | | off on an agreement with the Native American |
| The IGRA Act was a result of a Supreme Court | | | | Indian tribes which allowed Tribes to have |
| ruling that basically said that states do not | | | | these gaming slot machines on each of their |
| have any leverage over gaming on any United | | | | reservations. |
| States Tribe reservation. | | | | |
| | | | Not included in this Compact agreement were |
| Prior to this Act, the 1987 U.S. Supreme | | | | any table games. In 2003, however, the |
| Court ruling in California v. Cabazon Band of | | | | popular game of blackjack was added to the |
| Mission Indians, really meant that states do | | | | list of table games that were allowed. |