Tribal casinos have played a significant role in US gambling culture. Even now, these casinos that were set up over 100 years ago affect our culture and how gambling is viewed. You may ask how this is possible. Well, there are a variety of reasons why tribal casinos impact gambling culture even today. Moreover, many of these reasons go unnoticed, with only those who are willing to take a look at the history of gambling being able to understand their effects.
Today, we are going to take a look at how the introduction of tribal casinos affected the gambling landscape and how they still have an impact today. Let’s get right into it!
What are Tribal Casinos?
First of all, let’s explore what tribal casinos are. Tribal casinos, as the name suggests, are owned by tribes or originally founded on tribal land. We’re not talking about uncontacted tribes or the small subsection of the population mostly unconnected to the rest of the world – we’re talking about Native American tribes.
Without going into the long and storied history of the US, It’s no secret that Western humans were not the first humans to visit the states. No, there was a population of people long before colonization. These two groups fought, and at the end of a bloody war, the Native Americans were almost wiped out.
However, as a token of compensation and fairness, the US decided to give back some of the land to the remaining Native Americans in later years. These native lands did not have to follow the same rules as the rest of the states, as they were given to the Native Americans to govern and have free rein.
This is where things get interesting. Because of the fact that those in native lands had more freedom than everywhere else, the Native Americans could do things that would otherwise be illegal, while still remaining on the right side of the law. This included building and opening casinos and other gambling venues.
All across the states, Native Americans (or Americans acting through Native Americans) were launching casinos in a time when gambling was all but outlawed, creating safe havens for gambling enthusiasts and fans. These casinos were dubbed tribal casinos due to their origins, and the influence they have had over the years on gambling culture is enormous.
How Did Tribal Casinos Impact US Gambling Culture?
So, how exactly did tribal casinos impact US gambling culture? Well, they played an integral role in keeping gambling alive throughout the many years it was outlawed. From the early to the mid-1900s, U.S. gambling culture was brought to a halt by religious groups who saw it as a sin and sought to ban it altogether.
These religious groups had tremendous power, influencing laws, culture and businesses. Almost every gambling establishment that was not on tribal land was closed down during this period, and the general consensus on gambling was that it was for criminals or degenerates.
Tribal casinos were one of the main reasons this perspective changed. In fact, they are one of the main reasons gambling is now so accepted in the modern world. The sheer number of tribal casinos normalized casinos and gambling houses across the states, making them more accessible and less stigmatized.
People from all walks of life went to these houses for fun and entertainment, showing that gambling was not only for certain bad actors or delinquents. And many of these casinos were not run-down shacks – they were extravagant, well-built establishments that housed many of the games we are familiar with today.
Tribal Casinos in the Modern Day
While tribal casinos primarily contributed to gambling by normalizing it and giving people the opportunity to gamble when it was otherwise illegal, they still contribute to the culture today. Many online slots are based around tribal casinos – there is nothing quite like plugging in a pair of Klipsch Fives, loading up a high-quality slot and having some simple fun.
But even in modern-day Las Vegas and other gambling hotspots, many of the casinos we know and love are actually tribal casinos. They may be tribal only in name today, but some of them date back to the 1700s and earlier.
Conclusion
We hope we have been able to give you a better insight into how tribal casinos contribute to US gambling culture. While many of these casinos have either closed, changed or were launched so long ago that few people remember them, they still manage to influence today’s gambling culture. Without them, the scene as we know it today might not exist.
Tribal casinos played a huge role in changing people’s views about gambling and making it more accessible, not to mention being one of the main reasons why gambling ended up being legalized across the states. So, the next time you spin the reels or have a few games of blackjack, think back to how it all started. See you next time!