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Bingo in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has long been synonymous with Bingo. That’s because the Native tribes of Oklahoma have provided Bingo sessions for decades. Patrons from many of the nearby states get in cars and travel to Oklahoma to bet on Bingo on the weekends.

The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) was introduced after a landmark determination by The U.S. Supreme Court just the year before. From that time, 23 of the 39 American Indian bands located in Oklahoma have opened gambling halls. The Chickasaw were the first Oklahoma Native band to take advantage of the wagering rules, and at this time run 10 casinos of their very own. Bingo was the game on which these gambling dens were built on. Electronic games such as slot machine games were not permitted, owing to the fact that they are believed to contribute to gambling dependency at a higher rate than bingo.

In recent years, Oklahoma rules have altered to allow for large Native gambling gambling dens. You’ll now see Amerindian gambling dens with slot machine games, video poker and vingt-et-un tables. Craps and roulette are not yet authorized in the Amerindian casinos as of yet, but this is only a matter of time. Nobody can determine whether having other gambling hall games in the bingo houses will do for the popularity of bingo.