TERMINOLOGY

Acculturation
Cultural modification by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture, or the merging of cultures because of prolonged contact.

Action
The amount of gaming activity happening in a casino, sporting event or specific game.

Assimilation
The absorption of a minority group of people into another society or group. America attempted to assimilate the Native Indians into American society through illegal acts of congress in the 1950s.

Book
To accept wagers on the outcome of a sport or similarly uncertain event. (Race and Sports Book)

Bank (Bankroll)
The inventory of currency, coins, chips and tokens in the cage, pit area, change booths and electronic gaming devices and on the playing tables; used to make change and pay winning bets.

Banking Games
A casino game where the player risks money against the money of the casino.

Bet
The amount of money or object that is risked in a wager.

Bingo
A game of chance played for prizes, including monetary prizes, with cards bearing numbers or other designations in which the holder of the card covers such numbers or designations when objects, similarly numbered or designated, are drawn orelectronically determined, and in which the game is won by the first person covering a previously designated arrangement of numbers or designations of the cards, including (if played in the same location) pull-tabs, lotto, punch boards, tip jars, instant bingo, and other games similar to bingo.

Breakage
The calculation of the return on a $2.00 wager is made to the nearest $.10 in most states. For example, if the actual division of the pool comes out to $8.64 the official payoff is $8.60.

Cage
Also called the casino cage or cashier. A centralized enclosure where the records of transactions are kept, money is counted. Chips or tokens can be purchased or exchanged for cash.

Cage Credit
A condition allowing players to sign credit slips, or markers, for cash or chips.

Card Rooms
Card rooms refer to gaming establishments where the principal activity is poker-related games, either live or video. These establishments typically do not offer slot machine play or other table games such as blackjack, craps, or roulette. These establishments are governed and regulated by the state in which they are located.

Casino
A building or large room devoted to gambling games or wagering on a variety of events.

Casino Cage
Also called the cage. The secured area in a gaming establishment where records of transactions, money, and chips are kept.

Casino Gaming Industry
All of the activities related to legalized gambling and the operation of legal gambling establishments.

Chip
Also known as a CHECK used to represent money. At one time, chips were made of ivory or bond, but are now commonly made of composition, clay, ceramic or plastic.

Class I Gaming
Social games solely for prizes of minimal value or traditional forms of Indian gaming engaged in by individuals as part of, or in connection with, tribal ceremonies or celebrations.

Class II Gaming
The game of chance commonly known as bingo (whether or not electronic, computer or other technologic aids are used in connection therewith), and card games that are explicitly authorized by the law of the State or are not explicitly prohibited by the laws of the State, but only is such card games are played in conformity with the laws and regulations (if any) of the State regarding hours or periods of operation, tribal ceremonies and celebrations.

Class III Gaming
All forms of gaming that are not Class I or Class II gaming, such as table games and slot machines.

Coin Operated Gaming Device
Any mechanical or electronic machine designed to accept coins and to pay coins under certain conditions, especially a slot machine, or pinball, video poker, or horse race machine.

Compact
A contract or agreement between a tribe and a state that permits the operation of Class III gaming.

Compulsive Gambling
The inability to resist the urge to gamble, often leading to damage to one's personal life, family or job. This may be referred to as pathological gambling and is considered a treatable addiction.

Convenience Gaming
The placement of slot machines and video poker terminals in restaurants, bars, drug stores and other retail businesses meant to attract the business of local residents, as opposed to tourists.

Complimentary (also known as "Comp")
A gift given by managers to favored patrons, such as meals, room, or show reservation.

Credit Line
Also shortened to Line. The amount of money a player has deposited in the casino cage, or the amount of money the casino manager is willing to advance to a player.

Culture
The beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group and the shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize that group.

Drop
The amount wagered and lost at a table or machine.

Federal Recognition
Federal recognition acknowledges a tribe's eligibility to receive federal services provided to tribes and to enjoy other privileges of federally recognized tribes.

Floating Casino
Taxpayers in the gaming industry include individuals, partnerships, corporations, and joint ventures operating gaming casinos on various facilities located in or near United States inland river waterways, river basins, channels, lakes, ponds, and cofferdams. These operations are conducted under licenses issued by local and state gaming agencies. Often, state law prohibits gaming on land-based facilities and requires that the gaming facilities be on water. Operating casinos on the water are commonly referred to as "Riverboat Casinos." Operating casinos in water adjacent to land are commonly referred to as "Dockside Casinos." Taxpayers operating Riverboat or Dockside Casinos conduct legalized gaming activities that include blackjack, poker, roulette, craps, baccarat, keno and slot machines.

First People
A term used to describe the indigenous societies that existed before the Europeans arrived and settled on the land.

Gaming Activity
Involvement in gambling. The term is usually applied to legal gambling practices or involvement.

Gaming Commission
A state or city agency devoted to regulating legal gambling operations.

Gaming Control Act
A state statute that legalizes certain forms of gambling and provides guidelines for the operation and taxation of gambling games.

Gaming Control Board
A state or county agency that enforces policies set by the gaming commission, investigates allegations of cheating and provides background information on persons or corporations requesting licensing as operators of gambling establishments.

Genealogy
The study of family history. It usually involves the preparation of a family tree.

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)
Passed in 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) represents an attempt by Congress to strike a balance between the rights of tribes to engage in activities generally free of state jurisdiction and the interests of states in regulating gaming activities within their boundaries. IGRA provides an entire statutory structure of Indian gaming. By its terms it applies to "Indian Lands" which are defined as all lands within the limits of any Indian reservation. The National Indian Gaming Commission is established within the Department of the Interior and given the authority and responsibility of administering IGRA.

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is issued to nonresident aliens who do not have a Social Security Number and is used for tax purposes only.

Land Based Casino
A land based casino is one which is located on land and is owned either by individuals and/or corporations which have their gambling operation overseen by a state gaming control board or state gaming commission. Some land based casinos are limited by state law as to the maximum amount of a single wager or bet.

Land-into-Trust
Land into Trust is a real estate transaction that converts land from private or individual (fee) title into federal title for Indian tribes. Once the process is complete the subject land belongs to the United States of America in the name of an Indian tribe.

Lottery
A lottery is a game of chance based upon the random selection of numbers. Generally, lotteries are only legally operated by states, other governmental entities, or not-for-profit organizations.

Machine Payout
The amount paid out to the customer by a coin/currency operated gaming as the result of a winning combination.

Marker
Evidence of indebtedness by a player to the casino. A marker is usually a counter check. In craps, the term refers to a small rubber and plastic disk used to indicate whether a point has been made and mark the number of the point until made or lost.

Nation
A community with a defined area or territory composed of one or more nationalities. Tribes are considered nations since they are sovereign and possess territory.

Non-Banking Games
A casino where the player risks money against the money of another player, includes pari-mutuel systems.

Pari-Mutuel
A system of betting on races, or events, whereby the winners divide the total amount bet, after deducting management expenses, in proportion to the sums they have wagered individually.

Pit
The area surrounded by a group of gaming tables.

Powwow
A ceremony accompanied by magic, feasting, and dancing, performed for the cure of disease, success in a hunt, gathering of tribes.

Progressive Jackpot
In slot machines, a payout amount that increases with each coin played until the total amount is won.

Pull Tabs
A game of chance in which the player pulls tabs on a card to match symbols to find out if he/she wins or loses.

Race Tracks
A race track (includes dog and horse racing, and Jai Alai) is one in which there is regular race track betting activity at a live race track and there may be video gambling machines located within the racing establishment premises. Race tracks are governed by the individual states.

Reservation
An Indian reservation is land which is held in trust for a Native American tribe under the management of the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. There are about 300 Indian reservations in the United States, meaning not all of the country's 500-plus recognized tribes have a reservation--indeed, some tribes have more than one reservation, others have none.

Shaman
A priest or a medicine person, healer and religious leader who conducts rites, ceremonies, prayers, dances and songs.

Slot Machine
A mechanical or electronic gaming device into which a player may deposit coins and from which certain numbers of coins are paid out when a particular configuration of symbols appear on the machine.

Sovereignty
Freedom from external control; the quality or state of being self-governing, or the right of self-government.

Tip
Also called a toke. A sum of money given to a dealer, cocktail waitress, or other employee of an establishment for efficient or well-performed service.

Treaty
A legal agreement made by negotiations between nations or groups. This can include deciding who owns territory.

Tribal Council
Elected leaders or officials who protect the interests and carry out the will of the tribe.

Tribal Gaming
In 1988 Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) to:
1. Provide a statutory basis for the operation of gaming by Indian tribes to promote tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and strong tribal governments;
2. Provide a statutory basis for the regulation of Indian gaming to ensure the tribes are the primary beneficiaries; and
3. Establish
a. Independent federal regulatory authority for Indian gaming,
b. Federal standards for Indian gaming, and
c. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), to meet congressional concerns regarding Indian gaming and protect such gaming as a means of generating tribal revenue.
The term "gaming" has been divided by IGRA into three classes; Class I gaming is defined as consisting of: (a) social games that have prizes of minimal value and (b) traditional tribal games planned in connection with tribal ceremonies or celebrations. Class II gaming primarily includes: bingo (whether or not it is electronically enhanced), pull-tabs, lotto, punch boards, tip jars, instant bingo, and any non-banking card games allowed by state law. Class III gaming primarily includes slot machines, casino games, banking card games, dog racing, horse racing, and lotteries.
All tribal governments conducting or sponsoring gaming activities need to be aware of the federal requirements for income tax, employment tax, and excise tax.

Tribal Membership
An affiliation with a particular tribe. Tribal enrollment criteria is set forth in tribal constitutions, articles of incorporation or ordinances. The criterion varies from tribe to tribe, so uniform membership requirements do not exist.

Tribal-State Compact
IGRA requires states to negotiate in good faith with Indian tribes that seek to enter into Tribal-State compacts for the conduct of Class III gaming. Although the content of these compacts vary from state to state or from tribe to tribe, these agreements frequently provide for the allocations of criminal and civil jurisdiction between the State and tribes necessary for the enforcement of laws and regulations. Such issues as taxation, remedies for breach, minimum standards for operation and licensing requirements are also normally addressed in this agreement.

Tribalism
A strong sense of identity with one’s ethnic group, tribe or nation.

Tribe
A group with a definite dialect, cultural homogeneity and unifying social organization, including tribelets. For purposes of benefits and regulations, the federal government specifically acknowledges the existence of individual tribes.