Tribes Fighting for Slot Machines

The Oglala Sioux Tribe is looking to add more slot machines to their reservation, not only because they are good for business for the tribe, but also because the state will benefit from the additional revenue. The Pine Ridge Reservation knows that they can use the additional slot machine revenue to support themselves, and they know that they have the people to play them as well.

The tribe wants more slot machines in South Dakota because they know that they are bringing in customers from Wyoming and Nebraska that are spending their money in the state. They want to expand the Prairie Winds Casino, and that means bringing in slot machines, a hotel, and a conference center. They want to make it an actual destination, instead of just a slot machine casino.

They have a current limit of 250 slot machines, so they need the state to increase their limit. They are not the only tribe who wants that, there are seven other Sioux tribes in South Dakota that would like to see the number of slot machines increased for their casinos as well. One of the tribes, the Santee Tribe in Flandreau, says that they have the ability to hold 500 slot machines, but they are unable to increase their numbers due to the current law.

They say that they have many people waiting around to play the slot machines, and the increase in machines would only help the revenue that the state receives as well. The state has compacts under federal law with each of the states, and they have to negotiate in good faith with the tribes. So because they want more slot machines the state has to attempt to work with them, but if the tribes can prove that they aren’t, then the federal government will step in and changes to the compacts will probably be made.

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