White Earth Bingo Machine Controversy

In clubs and bars across the White Earth Indian Reservation, video bingo machines are springing up in enough numbers to generate concern amongst the Minnesota authorities. 

Tribal officials of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians have openly admit that over the past two years the tribe has set up approximately 100 bingo machines in seven private clubs and bars throughout the reservation.  Some locations include community liquor stores. 

The bingo machines bare too uncomfortable a resemblance to slot machines for some authorities.  Slot machines are restricted to the state’s Indian-run casinos.  However, tribal officials and the federal Indian gambling regulators argue that with or without state backing, the games are still legal. 

Regarding his meeting with federal gambling officials and White Earth tribal leaders earlier this week over the bingo machines, Michael Campion, Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner, said, “We’re trying to find out what’s legal and what’s not legal.”

According to John McCarthy, executive director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, White Earth is the only Minnesota tribe with bingo machines in their private clubs and bars. 

White Earth tribal chair woman, Erma Vizenor, is unwavering in her opinion of the matter.  “Ultimately the tribe is going to prevail,” she states confidently.  “We’re not going to change our position nor will the state make any kind of headway on this.”

The core of the bingo machine issue is the federal law’s definition of a slot machine.  When players interact with traditional slot machines, they are playing against the machine’s mathematical odds.  At consoles like bingo machines, multiple players are pitted against one another. 

Bruce Donner manages Mahnomen County’s municipal liquor operations.  All of Mahnomen County is within White Earth reservation boundaries.  Portions of Becker and Clearwater counties are also included in the reservation.

Donner has no problem with the bingo machines, “Anybody on the reservation can have them, and most of them do.”  Donner himself has six clearly designated bingo games in his business.  Players are linked to each other from locations all across the reservation, including Shooting Star casino, White Earth’s Mahnomen County tribal casino. 

Winning players collect coupons redeemable at the bar or casino in which they are playing.  Players can bet as much as $2 per game.  40% of the net revenue amassed at Donner’s liquor store is generated at the bingo consoles. 

A bar owner in Detroit Lakes, Dennis Dahl, desires such a profit.  Dahl says, “We’d like to have the [bingo] machines, and we’re not overly fussy who would own the machines.”  Detroit Lakes is just south of the reservation boundaries.

Lawmakers at the state capitol currently stand in the way of such desires as they continue to battle out where and how much gambling to allow in the state.   Bills permitting video lottery machines in taverns and restaurants have not passed, much less any laws pushing for non-Indian casinos. 

Three years ago, the National Indian Gaming Commission received a request from both U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger and Governor Jesse Ventura’s public safety commissioner, Charlie Weaver.  They desired a legality ruling on the pull-tab games being licensed in reservation bars and clubs by the White Earth band. 

The commission only responded just this past March.  The pull-tabs were deemed legal throughout the boundaries of the reservation.  Top federal regulator of Indian gaming, Philip Hogen, informed Campion, at this weeks meeting, that the ruling was also in response to the bingo machines.  State officials are considering an appeal of the commissions ruling. 

- Back to Slots Latest