Indian casinos was one of those Indian stereotypes that everyone in the class has heard of. I’m a bit older than most, so ideas like the drunk Indian, or Indian giver I seem to be more familiar with than my classmates.
Indian casinos is one of those misconceptions is that every Indian casino is wealthy, that every Indian tribe has a casino, so every Indian is rich. The idea that every Indian is rich is an excuse to take from native Americans. It is one of those excuses that is pervasive in American history.
The latest excuse of this is in Fixico’s book was illustrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s run for governor of California. One of Schwarzenegger’s biggest claim to fame was to get “Indians to pay their fair share.” The fact was Indian’s have always paid their fair share. This is no more evident than with casinos.
Part of the reason to make a casino is to employ people in their tribe. Most Indian casinos make sure to employ as many people as possible. For that reason, Indian casinos pay more in wages than commercial casinos.
The federal regulations for Indian casinos are far more extensive than non-native casinos. Not only do they have to employ more regulators, but they have to pay more in taxes, and local communities than most casinos.
Also, most tribes are not federal recognized, and not all those that are have the opportunity to construct a casino. The ones that are federal recognized may not have the commercial basis to justify a casino. They may be too far from population centers, or have moral reasons to object to a casino.
Most commercial casinos are required to pay LESS in taxes, and are beholden to far less people. Indian casinos employ more people, have far more regulators, and not all Indians have opportunities to open casinos.