Meskwaki Bingo: Iowa Time Machine February 20, 1987

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On February 20, 1987, the Meskwaki Nation opened the first high-stakes bingo hall in Iowa at their settlement near Tama, launching what would become a multibillion-dollar gaming industry. The single building, with its rows of tables and eager players clutching daubers, represented the cutting edge of Native American economic sovereignty and changed the relationship between tribal nations and state governments across America.

The Meskwaki people, also known as the Sac and Fox Tribe, had purchased their settlement lands in Tama County back in the 1850s with their own funds, making it one of only two Native American settlements in the United States bought rather than designated as a reservation by the federal government. For more than a century, the community struggled economically, with limited employment and revenue-generating opportunities. By the 1980s, tribal nations nationwide were exploring new economic development strategies. The Supreme Court's 1987 decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, decided just weeks after the Tama bingo hall opened, would soon clarify that states had limited authority to regulate gaming on tribal lands. The Meskwaki leadership recognized gaming as a potential pathway to self-sufficiency and prosperity for their people.

The bingo hall that opened on that winter day in 1987 was modest compared to what would follow, but it drew players from across Iowa and neighboring states who were attracted by higher stakes than state-regulated games allowed. Lines of cars stretched along Highway 30 as Iowans discovered they could play for prizes worth thousands rather than hundreds of dollars. The Meskwaki operated the facility under their tribal sovereignty, and the revenue began flowing immediately into community programs, infrastructure improvements, and economic development. Within months, the bingo operation was generating substantial income, and tribal leaders were already planning expansions that would eventually transform the modest hall into a full-scale casino resort.

The original bingo hall has evolved into the Meskwaki Casino Resort, now one of Iowa's largest entertainment destinations and employers. The casino generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually and provides jobs for more than 1,700 people, both tribal members and residents from surrounding communities. The Meskwaki Nation has used gaming revenue to build a school, health clinic, and community center while preserving its cultural heritage and language. #Iowa #OTD #History #Gaming #IndigenousHistory