A Guide to the Best Indian Casinos in the US
By
Jane Shaw
Senior Editor Updated: 12/19/2022
We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.
Best Indian Casinos
- Introduction to Tribal Casinos?
- Tribal Casinos Explained
- Laws and Regulation
- Popular Tribal Casinos
- Benefits of Tribal Casinos
- Frequently Asked Questions
Tribal casinos are an integral part of the land-based gaming industry in the US. If you’re wondering where you’ll find the best Indian casinos, you’re in the right place, as on this page, we’re going to show you five of the best.
Introduction to the Best Indian Casinos
Indian gaming simply refers to land-based casinos that are owned and operated by Native Americans. As you can probably imagine, tribal casinos are built on tribal land – and it’s seen as a way for the Native Americans to generate income for their communities. Tribal gaming is governed by separate legislation from commercial gambling operations, and we’ll look more at this later on.
To kick things off, we’re going to take a more in-depth look at what tribal casinos actually are.
Explained: The Best Native American Casinos
On the outside, the best Native American casinos look identical to any other land-based casino; they offer a wide variety of casino games, including video slots, casino table games and video poker – and many are large-scale hotels and resorts, too. However, there is one very big difference between tribal and commercial casinos; the former is operated by Native American tribes in the US.
The development of the best Indian casinos helped to fuel the land-based gaming boom in the US many decades ago – and while some people have their reservations about tribal casinos, they are, for the most part, seen as positives for the local community.
Native American casinos are run entirely by the Native American tribes, and this means that revenue is able to go straight into the local economy. This is often seen in the form of school funding, job creation and funding local infrastructure. Today, there are more commercial casinos operating in the US than ever before, but Indian casinos very much remain popular – and they’re found in 29 different states in the US!
Tribal Casinos and Regulations
Tribal casinos are owned and operated by Native American tribes, but that doesn’t mean they’re outside the scope of the law. In fact, all tribal casinos are regulated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) – a federal law that was enacted back in 1988. Its purpose was to develop a framework for how Indian casinos in the USA should be regulated – and it sets out many regulations that casinos must follow.
Tribal casinos can receive one of three gambling licenses; firstly, there’s the Class I license which lets them offer traditional tribal and social games; however, the prizes must be “minimal”, so most choose against a Class I license.
Next up is the Class II license, and this allows a tribal group to offer bingo and other similar games. Finally, there’s the Class III license which allows a tribe to offer all other types of gambling not covered in the previous two licenses. For example, this would include slot machines, casino table games and video poker.
When the IGRA was enacted, it also formed the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), which is responsible for making sure that tribe-owned casinos in the US are following the regulations set out in the IGRA. The NIGC has a generally good relationship with tribal casinos in the states, and they work together on a regular basis.
Tribal casinos operate with a different legal framework to commercial land-based casinos; this has caused some controversy, with private companies claiming that tribes are given special privileges not extended to non-tribal members. However, it’s a sensitive topic – and debate continues surrounding the moral and ethical implications surrounding Indian casinos.
Top Native American Casinos
Since tribal casinos started to open their doors in the 1980s, more than 245 Native American tribes have started operating their own – and today, there are more than 530 Indian casinos in the US. This includes everything from small, local bingo halls to major land-based casino resorts – on-par with what you’d expect to see in Vegas! Below, we will look at five of the top Indian casinos in the US.
WinStar World Casino and Resort
We start our list of the top Native American casinos with the WinStar World Casino and Resort is the largest Native American-owned land-based casino in the world – and it’s also the largest casino in the world!
Located in Thackerville, Oklahoma, this super complex opened its doors back in 2003 – and it’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The WinStar World Casino and Resort covers some 600,000 square feet, and it’s owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation Tribe.
In addition to a large gaming area, the WinStar World Casino and Resort also offers a number of other facilities. For example, there are more than 20 restaurants and bars, and non-gamblers will also find plenty to do; there’s the MIST nightclub, and a live concert arena that can seat up to 7,700 guests! There is also a hotel that has a huge 1,500 rooms.
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Until the WinStar World Casino and Resort was built, Foxwoods Resort Casino held the record for the largest tribal casino; while, today, it’s lost its place on the top of the list, it’s still one of the most popular land-based casinos in the US, and it’s located in Mashantucket, CT. It’s owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Nation.
One of the major benefits of playing at Foxwoods Resort Casino is the huge number of slot machines available; at the time of writing, over 3,000 different terminals are available! In addition, there are 114 poker tables, and more than 100 other casino table games including Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, and almost everything in between!
Mohegan Sun Casino
The Mohegan Sun Casino is located in Uncasville, CT, and it’s owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. It first opened its doors in 1996, and another notable date came in 2016 when they opened their “Earth Tower”, adding an additional 400 rooms for hotel guests.
The Mohegan Sun Casino has more than 1,600 hotel rooms for guests, and there are around 13 restaurants available. When the WNBA season is taking place, the Connecticut Sun play their home games at the casino’s resort, the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Seminole Hard Rock Casino
The Seminole Hard Rock Casino, regarded as one of the best Native American casinos, was previously known as the Four Points Sheraton Hotel – and it was acquired around a decade ago by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Seminole Hard Rock Casino covers almost 250,000 square feet of land, and there are a staggering 5,000 slot machines available to play. In addition to video slots, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino offers 180 casino table games, and there’s also a dedicated poker room which contains 50 tables.
Outside of the casino patrons will be able to enjoy 15 different restaurants and bars; there’s also a foot-spa which covers a whopping 26,000 square feet, and a ballroom that covers 17,000 square feet.
When guests stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, they get to choose from one of two different hotel towers to stay in; there are also three different swimming pools which are located on different floors; the largest pool spans the entire length of the resort!
Yaamava’ Resort Casino
The Yaamava’ Resort Casino is located in Highland, California, and it’s owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Until September 2021 it was known as the San Manuel Casino. Yaamava’ Resort Casino features more than 1,500 hotel rooms, plenty of restaurants – and there’s also a full-service spa. The Yaamava’ Resort Casino is also expected to soon open a 2,800-seat entertainment venue.
Like all the names on this page thus far, the Yaamava’ Resort Casino also boasts an impressive number of restaurants. These restaurants cater to all tastes, and their cuisines are designed to emulate flavors from all corners of the globe. There are also several bars and nightclubs, some of which are directly accessible from the casino’s gaming floor.
Why Tribal Casinos Are Important
The top Native American casinos are incredibly important for their local communities for a number of reasons. They are able to provide a wide variety of economic and social benefits. For example, when it comes to the economy, tribal casinos are able to create a steady stream of jobs; they also generate significant economic activity in the local community. This has been directly shown to reduce unemployment and raise the median wealth in the local area.
Tribal casinos can also often be found providing local tribes with special funds that are designed to be used to preserve local culture and tradition. This helps to ensure that Native American culture remains alive and well, and it also brings about other opportunities such as cultural exchanges and education benefits.
Indian casinos are also a fantastic way to attract tourists; gamblers will travel from all over to visit land-based casinos, and the added influx of tourists allows casinos to generate even more revenue – which can then be pumped directly back into the local economy.
