SD Tribes Want More Slot Machines

American Indian tribes have been working with the state of South Dakota to try and work out their gambling compacts. Each of the eight tribes of the Sioux Indians are limited to 250 slot machines each, the way their current compacts read. They would like to increase the number of slot machines that each tribe is allowed to have.

The tribal leaders are meeting in Rapid City this week with the state to work out some sort of a deal that would increase their slot machine numbers. John Yellowbird Steele says that not only do more slot machines help the tribes, but they help the state as well. He says their casinos bring in visitors to South Dakota that otherwise would not come.

He is chairman of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and they are looking to expand their Prairie Winds Casino. Whether or not they get more slot machines will determine if they add a hotel and conference center, or if they keep it the way it is now. The Flandreu Santee Tribe operates the Royal River Casino and they want more slot machines because they are already built for them. They say it would not cost them any money in expansion because they already have space for 500 slot machines.

Federal laws says that the tribes have the right to operate the same kinds of gambling or slot machines offered elsewhere in the state, but that the tribes have to have compacts with the states. However, the states must negotiate them in good faith or the Department of Interior will step in and negotiate for them. The tribes feel that the state is trying to limit the number of slot machines that they have because of the gambling in Deadwood – and they don’t want them to have competition.



Back to March Archive or Slot Machines