Getting to Know Legal Gaming Classifications

Introduction to Gaming Classifications

Accepted legal gaming classifications are available to state gaming boards to restrict which class of slot machines can be used in a casino or other gaming area, specifically Class I thru III.

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)

The first federal gaming structure for Indian gaming was established in 1988 with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, enacted as a U.S. federal law. The stated purposes of the Act include:

• Providing a legislative basis for the operation/regulation of Indian gaming
• Protecting gaming as a means of generating revenue for the tribes
• Encouraging economic development of these tribes
• Protecting the enterprises from negative influences, such as organized crime

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

The Act establishes three classes of games with a different regulatory scheme for each:

• Class I
• Class II
• Class III

Class I Gaming

Class I gaming is defined as

1. Traditional Indian gaming as part of tribal ceremonies and celebrations
2. Social gaming for minimal prizes

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

Regulatory authority over this class of gaming falls to Tribal governments and is not otherwise subject to IGRA’s requirements.

Class II Gaming

Class II gaming is defined as the game of chance known as bingo, aided or not aided by any electronics, and other games similar to bingo if played at the same location.

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

It also applies to games played exclusively against another player rather than against the house or a player acting as a bank.

Tribal governments are the primary legal entity responsible for regulating Class II games on its lands, as long as

• The state in which the Tribe has located permits such gaming for any purpose
• The Tribal government adopts a gaming ordinance approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

Tribal governments are responsible for regulating class II gaming with Commission oversight. The Act specifically excludes slot machines or electronic facsimiles of any game of chance from the definition of class II games.

Class III Gaming

Class III gaming is generally referred to as casino-style gaming. It has a broad definition and includes all forms of gaming not specifically called out as Class I or II.

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

Games commonly played at casinos clearly fall into the Class III category, including

• slot machines
• blackjack
• craps
• roulette
• wagering games
• electronic facsimiles of any game of chance

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

As restricted by the IGRA, before a Tribe can lawfully conduct Class III gaming, these conditions must be met:

• The particular form of Class III gaming the Tribe wants to conduct must be permitted in the state the Tribe is located.
• The Tribe and state must have negotiated a compact approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary must have approved regulatory procedures, a so-called Tribal-State Compact.
• The Tribe must have adopted a Tribal gaming ordinance approved by the Chairman of the Commission.

Get Your FREE Guide Revealing…

The regulatory scheme for Class III gaming is complex, with key functions for approval authority resting with several organizations at the federal, state, Commission, and Tribal levels.

Summary of Legal Gaming Classifications

Accepted legal gaming classifications are available to state gaming boards to restrict which class of slot machines can be used in a casino or other gaming area.

Book Your Consultation…

Related Articles from Professor Slots

• Common Slot Machine Casino Gambling Definitions
• Learn How to Play Slot Machines – A Primer for Beginner Slots Players

Other Articles from Professor Slots

• Previous: State Gaming Regulations & What You Need to Know
• Next: 7 Advantages of Players Clubs for Playing Slots