Oklahoma has long been interrelated with Bingo. That is owing to the fact that the Amerindian bands of Oklahoma have provided Bingo games for many years. Clients from many of the nearby states load up in vans and visit Oklahoma to play Bingo on the weekends.

The 1988 (IGRA) Indian Gaming Regulatory Act became law after a precedent setting decision by The U.S. Supreme Court the year prior. From that instance, twenty three of the 39 American Indian bands of Oklahoma have opened bingo halls. The Chickasaw were the 1st Oklahoma American Indian band to take advantage of the wagering laws, and today operate 10 casinos of their very own. Bingo was the game on which these casinos were built on. Electronic games such as slot machines were not authorized, owing to the fact that they are thought to lead to gambling problems at a higher rate than bingo.

In recent years, Oklahoma governing edicts have altered to allow for large Native wagering casinos. You’ll now see American Indian casinos with slot machines, video poker and 21 tables. Craps and roulette are still not approved in the American Indian gambling halls yet, although this is only a matter of time. Nobody can determine whether having other gambling den games in the bingo houses will do for the popularity of bingo.