Indianz.Com > News > Native Sun News Today Editorial: The ups and downs of the Indian gaming industry
The ups and downs of Indian casinos
Friday, December 17, 2021
There are some Tribes that have nearly broken the umbilical cord that has kept them tied to the total control of the federal government by virtue of their lucrative gaming casinos.
Their casinos are lucrative because of geography. They are located near large urban areas where there are plenty of people living who are willing to gamble in their casinos.
Other Tribes are not so lucky. They are located in remote areas where the populations are small and they will never be able to draw the large crowds to their casinos.
The Shakopee Tribe in Minnesota is one example. They are located near the metropolitan area of St. Paul and Minneapolis. As a result they are one of the wealthiest Tribes in America. There are many Tribes with the similar luck of the draw because of their locations.
The Prairie Wind Casino located on the Pine Ridge Reservation is fairly remote. It is located about 20 miles west of the farming town of Oelrichs. It draws most of its customers from Rapid City and Hot Springs in South Dakota and Chadron in Nebraska.
Rapid City is also located near the gaming city of Deadwood. When South Dakota legalized gambling in Deadwood and in other South Dakota communities it did much to cut into the revenues of the Indian casinos.
In order to draw customers away from Deadwood and to Pine Ridge the Tribe needs to come up with brilliant ideas that would entice the customers to visit their casino in lieu of Deadwood. It’s a tough sell.
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