I didn’t post this here when it was first published, but this is a piece I wrote on eleven pioneers of Indian gaming for Tribal Government Gaming magazine:
Indian gaming is a relatively new phenomenon. If someone had casually mentioned driving to an Indian reservation to play blackjack in 1978, they’d have been sent to a padded room for observation. But in less than a generation, Indian casinos have become an economic force to be reckoned with-a $25 billion-a-year business, and growing. In addition, the social, political, and cultural impact of Indian gaming goes far beyond dice and slot machines. It has led to a historic reversal of United States-Indian relations. Once denied their land, forced to assimilate, and marginalized from society, American Indians have gained increasing economic and political power in the last 30 years. And casinos are a big part of the reason.
Interesting reading.