Casino Unbelievable! Indian Casinos Have NO Accountability!

My advice right now is simple, stay away from Indian casinos and Indian gaming reservations. I wrote a previous post specifically about the ambiguity surrounding the Indian casino Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina. As I continue to research Indian casinos further and talk to more and more people, the lack of state oversight and regulation is horrifying.



I can’t lump them all into one group because there are differences amongst some Indian casinos in different states. However, I will provide the general consensus. Casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Biloxi, St. Louis, etc. have state mandated laws that they must follow. Such as: slot machines must be set at a minimum payback, usually between 80-85%. This is where some of the ambiguity sets in for Indian gaming. I’ve heard several versions.

• Version #1: Indian casinos do not have to abide by state mandated regulations because their reservation is not controlled by the state. They only have to answer to the Tribal Gaming Counsel which is composed of fellow Indians. Yes, they are self-regulated. Boy, that really makes me feel confident.

• Version #2: Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina simply pays a fine each month (instead of being shut down) when they don’t meet the state requirements. It’s much more profitable for them to pay the fine and keep the machines at a lower payback. Ask around, visit message boards, and you will find a general consensus that Harrah’s Cherokee casino has some of the worst payback machines. Whenever Harrah’s Cherokee is brought up, people usually say something like, “It’s a very beautiful place in the mountains, but their machines sure are tight.”

Other stories have emerged where customers who were winning too much had their money confiscated and accused of card counting (Which is NOT Cheating and perfectly Legal). If this happens to you, guess who decides your fate, you guessed it the self-regulated Tribal Counsel. I’m sure you’ll get a fair trial. Yeah right!

In Las Vegas they will simply ask you to leave if they feel you are card counting, in AC they can’t even do that, but casinos in both jurisdictions know they can’t take your money. Indian casinos don’t abide by this.

I’ve discussed the difference in Class II and Class III machines, and it’s bad enough that most of the Indian casinos use Class II machines, but combine it with all these other questions, to me it’s not worth it. You will not see me at any Indian casinos in the near future unless there is more oversight by the state, and they use Class III Machines.

If you have some information regarding any of this, please let me know because I would really like to get to the bottom of this so people can know the facts BEFORE they make a choice about what casino to play at.

Source (Author wants this to be reblogged and spread around)

 

So how were you affected by the Indian accountability thing?

 

Well, first big surprise is that:

Video Poker in Washington State is all Class II, meaning that it is a slot machine, due to how State Law there works. So, you will see Video Poker machines in the Indian Casinos, but they are slots and no skill is needed to play them.


NOT A VIDEO POKER MACHINE! THIS IS A SLOT MACHINE!

Tight Machines - Indian Casinos are know to be very tight, having a low Return Rate for slots and Video Poker.
Skimpy Comps - Indian Casinos are known to be very skimpy when it comes to comps, and cashing out points.
No Advantage Play - Indian Casinos ensure they keep the house edge with a shuffle card deep in the 6 or 8 shoe for Blackjack.
Rigged games? - There is suspicion that Craps dice are loaded at some Indian Casinos so that they run cool as to produce short rolls and lots of craps numbers. I have also heard that the card shuffling machines are holding up to 10 cards in the hoppers, this will greatly increase house edge. So, 52 cards goes in the machine but not all 52 are dealt in a game.
No Rights - I personally know players who have been asked to leave the Indian Casino with no reason given. When asked why, they are told they will get a letter in the mail and not to return. The letter they got said they are barred from the casino for 6 months while their play is evaluated. No follow up letter is ever received and after 6 months no letter or is sent to inform the player they can come back. It is generally determined by us players that the Indian Casino wants a "cooling down time" when a player is skilled or lucky and is on a winning streak.
Suppression - Indian Casinos are notorious to suppress the comps/free play/offers to players who have a winning pattern outside of what they consider a normal win rate. Several players I know are furious over this issue. Some players now don't even use the players card anymore because of the fear of getting the "go away letter" as above.
No Reporting/No Gaming commission - Indian Casinos do not have to report revenues to anyone. There is no gaming commission that ensures that the games are fair and aren't tampered with.

Some Indian Casinos are on Tribal Reservations, and you are subjected to all the laws that the Tribe has created. This may mean that any firearm or alcohol you may have in your vehicle (secured and sealed) may actually be a violation of the Reservation law and if pulled over by a Tribal police you could end up in jail for weeks/months while waiting a court trial in front of the Tribal Elders.

Most Indian Casinos are on Federal Lands held in trust for the Tribe. So, even if Cannabis is legal in the State, it is NOT LEGAL on Federal properties and you will be arrested and prosecuted under Federal law for having a controlled substance.

AND,
I have talked to a few Indian Casino dealers and employees (on and off the casino site) who flat out admitted that the players are not getting fair games and no real gambler should play in an Indian Casino. Now mostly this is about the Slots with the low return rates and table games where the casino can 'cheat'.

OK, there are people who play regularly at the Indian Casinos. I was one of them. I don't play nearly as frequently as I use to, but I still go from time to time. I do talk to the regulars who admit that there is no bankroll growth for them and that there are more down days than up days for them. Overall they call it 'entertainment' and have given up any notion of using the casino as a source of income.

Is Las Vegas/Reno any better?

The answer is Yes and No. You have to shop around for the casino that offers the games and players club that will give you your best shot at making money. I think overall you will get a better game in Las Vegas/Reno however there is now some rumors that some of the same cheating methods that the Indian Casinos are using are finding their way in to the Las Vegas casinos.

 

I can tell you PERSONALLY that Harrah's Cherokee uses "Biased" Dice. However, There are days wherein you get a "Fair" Game. My commute is over Three hours to get There, & Sometimes I cannot Play Craps at all, because of the Biased Dice. I was VERY fortunate to catch them on SEVERAL Occassions wherein they had "Fair" Dice in play. I absolutely Murdered them on the "Fair Dice" Days, but there was two Occasions wherein I had to turn around & Leave(No Room Reserved). I've had one Small win, & a Moderate win for 2015!!! Luckily, I befriended a Very Knowledgeable Player that taught me what to look for in "Biased" Dice. Everyone says: Well, if the dice are Biased, play the Don'ts & Clean up. It's a little more complicated than that!!! I won't go into detail, but if you think you can beat Biased dice by Strictly playing the Don'ts, you are in for a Huge Let Down. There are different Kinds of "Bias" & you have to identify "What Kind" of Bias before you can Succeed!!! So, in closing....... Stay away from Cherokee Casino. "Bad Dice, Tight slots, & Low Comps are what's in store for you Playing there. As for Myself....... I'll continue to play there SPORADICALLY, as I'm still sitting on a Shit load of their Money that they'll NEVER, EVER, get Back!!! LOL 2014 was a Very prosperous Year for me Playing Craps there, & the few Comps that I USED TO get have all but Dried up. The last comp I received was a Spa Treatment for the wife..... Which she did take advantage of!!!!!