USA gambling laws

Gambling, often referred to as "gaming", had 2003 revenues of $72.87 billion[1], and thrives in the United States. Many levels of government have authorized multiple forms of gambling: everything from bingo games in church basements, to multi-million dollar poker tournaments. The American Gaming Association breaks gambling down into the following categories[2]:

Proponents of gambling in the United States say it provides valuable tax revenue and job opportunities. Commercial casinos provided 356,312 jobs as of 2000[3], and yearly state tax revenue of $4.74 billion as of May, 2005.[4] Some community groups oppose gambling because they say it leads to corruption, gambling addiction, and higher crime rates. Native American tribes have used legal protection (and reservation status) to open casinos. Online gambling is a more recent phenomenon. In some states, casinos are restricted to "riverboats", large multistory barges that more often than not are permanently moored in a body of water. Other states allow casinos to be on dry land, but restrict their numbers.

Native American tribes are permitted to operate casinos on tribal land to provide employment and revenue for their government and their tribe members. Tribal gaming is regulated on the tribal, state, and federal level. Native tribes are required to use gambling revenue to provide for governmental operations, economic development, and the welfare of their members. Indian gaming was established under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Under the provisions of that law, games are divided into three distinct categories. Class I games are "traditional" games that involve little or no wagering. Class II games include bingo, pull-tabs, and certain non-banked card games (poker, cribbage, bridge, whist, etc.). Class III games include all casino games and games that do not properly fall into classes I or II. [6] Tribal gambling had revenues of $14.5 billion in 2002, from 354 casinos. Approximately forty percent of the 562 federally recognized tribes operate gaming establishments.[7]