Casinos by Indians

Casinos owned by Indians, the indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada, can be found in both countries. They are ‘native American’ and ‘First Canadian’ casinos. We looked into these ‘tribal’ casinos after learning that the most successful Canadian casino has ties to the Netherlands.

Indians

A Map from 1787 depicting the original territory in New Brunswick that is now owned by Indians. When many people think of Indians, they immediately think of the United States. This is most likely due to Hollywood movies featuring cowboys and Indians. However, if you look into the history of the United States and Canada, you will find a history of battles, settlers, and land annexations. California and Texas, for example, were once part of Mexico. In fact, the United States and Canada have only existed in their current forms for over a century. /p> /p> p> Long before that, the indigenous peoples of America lived all over the continent, both in North and South America. They were driven from their position during the battles. To cut a long story short, they eventually reclaimed their land. In many cases, this was resolved through reservations, which were lands allotted by the government to native inhabitants. /p> h3>Indians’ Casinos h3> /h3> p> Owning land did not automatically imply economic advancement. Many tribes were struggling economically. This was due to a variety of addictions (drink and drugs), discrimination, and a variety of other factors. Gambling is a part of Indian culture, as we can see in a previous article on OnlineCasinoGround. /p> /p> p> It was not surprising, then, that a solution was sought in that environment. Several tribes began gambling on their land. These were the first Indian-owned illegal casinos. /p> /p> p> The Seminoles, a mixed-tribe Indian tribe, were the first to open an official casino in Florida in the early 1970s. Since 1975, you can also bet large sums with them. That was at bingo, with the help of the federal government. This paved the way for other tribes to follow.

h3> IGRA Act/h3> p> The expansion of Indian casinos on reservations necessitated the passage of legislation. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was signed into law by the United States government in 1988. (IGRA). Its primary function, as the name implies, is to regulate. Furthermore, the income of reserve residents has been considered from the economic past. /p> /p> p> As a result, the law includes provisions for promoting economic development and combating organized crime. Not to mention that tax issues were addressed. However, following the passage of the law, in which chiefs were involved, many lawsuits were filed to dot the i’s.

Current Situation in the United States/h4> p> There are currently approximately 250 Native American tribes in the United States that operate nearly 500 casinos and other gambling establishments. Last year, the combined tribes made approximately $35 billion in revenue from gambling. This is comparable to the revenue generated by other legal gambling activities in the United States. /p> /p> p> The tribes are exempt from paying taxes on all profits made on reservations. As a result, the contribution to government coffers is nil. Individual employees, who are usually members of a tribe, are required to pay income tax. However, arrangements in which they are granted exemption are also possible. /p> h2> Canada h2> /h2> p> The situation in Canada is similar to that in the United States. Native American casinos have also been established in order to stimulate economic development. They are on so-called “First Nation” reservations. /p> /p> p> In 1993, the first official Indian-run casino opened. The First Nations Gaming Act (FNGA) was drafted and signed two years later. The law’s spirit is similar to that of the United States, but the Canadian government retained more control, say, and revenue. /p> h3> Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan established a gaming authority, the Saskatchemwan Indian Gaming Authority, shortly after the FNGA was established (SIGA). She stated in it, among other things, that casinos, according to Indian tradition, share their profits with the community. /p> /p> p> The FNGA law is interpreted differently by each of Canada’s provincial governments. In doing so, they frequently limit tribal control. What is and is not permitted in a casino, how much income a casino must pay, and other issues are still the subject of debate and numerous lawsuits. Furthermore, when Canadian businesses want to expand or establish themselves, governments take land off the reserves. /p> h2> Enough money h2> /h2> p> The Gray Rock Entertainment Center, which houses a casino, a restaurant, and other amenities /p> p> p> p> Despite the restrictions, a number of tribes are now able to live comfortably on the proceeds of their First Nations reservation. Other than gambling, there are other sources of income… as seen at the casino mentioned in the first paragraph. /p> /p> p> This Madawaska Maliseet First Nation reservation is small and was only established ten years ago. It is in the province of New Brunswick, near Edmunton. Gray Rock Casino, which opened in 2015, is where you can gamble. It now accounts for a sizable portion of the income. /p> /p> p> The reserve is situated on a major road in Canada. As a result, the gas station in the reserve is doing well. Canadians on their way to and from the area refuel their pickup trucks and all-terrain vehicles. And with trucks’ 600-liter tanks, this quickly adds up to well over $1,000 per full tank.

Maliseet Madawaska

The tribe of 548 Indians could develop commercially quickly thanks to good tax payment agreements with the government. Many other tribes and First Nation reserves in Canada have taken note of the activities. /p> /p> p> Aside from visible activity, there are also clever tax structures. That is one of the ties with the Netherlands, as we know from IKEA, the Rolling Stones, and other holdings. However, the Netherlands is also being considered for future activities. /p> h3> h3>Cannabis plantation/h3> For example, consider the ongoing legalization of cannabis in Canada. The chiefs envision their own plantation, and knowledge from the Netherlands is flown in. They want to collaborate with a local Indian honey company to produce honey containing CBD, the non-psychoactive variant of cannabis. BeeHighVE in Newfoundland, the company’s holding company, is also registered in the Netherlands. /p> h2> Additional resources and information /h2> ul> li> In the United States, there are 566 recognized strains. There are Indian casinos in 28 of the 50 states. The most revenue is generated by their casinos in California, Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, and Washington. /li> /li> li> There are approximately 700,000 Native Americans in Canada, with over 3,000 reservations housing half of them. The government refers to tribes, but Indians prefer to refer to themselves as First Nations. The number of tribes has increased in recent years, from 577 in 1982 to over 600 today. /li> /li> li> Madawaska Maliseet First Nations has a per capita profit of more than $3 million dollars. The provincial debt of New Brunswick, where the reservation is located, is nearly $20,000 per capita. /li> /li> li> There are 17 First Nation casinos in Canada: six in Saskatchewan, five in Alberta, three in Ontario, two in Manitoba, and one in New Brunswick. The province retains control, and revenue and other data are also recorded at the provincial level. /ul> h3> /li> Investigations h3> /h3> p> Numerous investigations have been conducted into Indian casinos and other activities on reservations. Those who are interested in economic changes are the most interesting: /p> ul> li> li>Research from 2012 on the effects of tribal casinos on income and health in the United States (pdf)/li> In late 2017, a report on the economic impact of Indian casinos in the United States was published (pdf) /li> /li> li> Similar economic research was conducted in Canada, for example, in 2011 at an Alberta casino (pdf) / li> li>li>li>li>li>li>li>li> The impact of the arrival of a casino on two reservations in Alberta was also investigated (pdf) /li> /li> li> As stated in the text, in Canada, casinos are primarily examined on a provincial level. Indian casinos in the United States are more strictly regulated on a national level. However, states, such as California, consider the influence in their state (pdf) /ul> /li> h3>Books h3> /h3> p> Books about Native Americans and First Nations are also plentiful. We made use of two: /p> ul> li> Robert J. Miller’s Reservation “Capitalism”: Economic Development in Indian Country. The Google version sufficed. /li> /li> li> James Lorimer’s The First Canadians: Economic Development in Indian Country. Google-Books also has a readable version. /li> /ul>