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 "So I went in [to the Casino] and dug in my pocket and pulled out my quarters. And I went to these flaming sevens and threw one quarter in at a time... nothing. Pretty soon I was down to three quarters." - Doris Eagle, losing at the slot machines  Once seen as a cure for tribal poverty, Indian gaming has become a curse in some communities. The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) reports that of the 200,000 jobs created by Indian gaming, only 25 percent go to Indians. The NIGA also states that fewer than one-fourth the tribal governments participating in gaming distribute payments from gaming income to tribal members. Casinos located on remote reservations - many over 500 miles from the nearest big city - fail to attract the wealthy clientele that gaming proponents had hoped to entice. Instead, many poor local residents end up spending their meager earnings at casinos, only rarely hitting the jackpot they seek. Yet when the spirits are with them, they may have good fortune.
"I sat my little bucket down, got my quarters out and threw three more in. And there came one red seven, and another and another.... I was the happiest person on earth.... Of course, Uncle Sam's gotta have his share, too. Satuday morning I just mailed out money orders in all directions..." - Doris Eagle, winning at the slot machines Gaming also provides reservation residents the opportunity to interact with one another, and Bingo is viewed more as a social activity than gambling. Gaming has a long tradition among Native peoples. The Plains Indians enjoyed horse racing as well as the more traditional forms such as Hand Games, where players tried to guess the location of a small object being passed rapidly from hand to hand in two opposing lines of participants. |
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