In the USA, there are generally two types of casinos, whether we are talking about the land-based of the online variety. You will find that there are commercially-run casinos and then there are tribal-run casinos.
Commercial casinos are owned by publicly-operated and sometimes publicly-traded companies. Tribal casinos are owned and operated by US-based Indian tribes.
Here is a list of the best commercial online casinos licensed in New Jersey: bet365, betMGM, Borgata casino, StarDust, and BetRivers.
What Are The Differences Between Commercial And Tribal Online Casinos In The USA?
The most obvious difference between the two types of casinos is location. Tribal casinos must be located on tribal land. If they are operating an online casino, the server for that online casino must also be physically located on tribal land.
While commercial online casinos are governed by state regulators, tribal online casinos answer to the Federal Department of the Interior. They are governed by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
In the case of a tribal online casino, all of the monies earned from gambling must flow back to the tribal communities to help with their economic growth and development and to make their governments self-sufficient. There are 30 of the 50 US states that have operating tribal casinos.
A commercial online casino can keep any profits they make, since the vast majority of them are owned and operated by major corporations. However, unlike a tribal casino, a commercial casino must pay taxes to the government. The tribal casinos must sign compacts with state governments in which they agree to share a small percentage of the casino earnings with the community in which they are situated.
It is permissible for tribal casino operators to enter into partnerships with commercial gambling entities to run their casinos. It’s a logical collaboration, since the gambling company is more skilled and adept at running an online casino and in exchange for getting their cut as an operating fee, can assure much more significant profits for the tribal-run online casino.
Tribal vs Commercial Online Casinos in the USA
| Casino Type | Casino Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal | Bay Mills Indian Community (DraftKings) | Michigan |
| Tribal | Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Caesars) | Michigan |
| Tribal | Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (BetRivers) | Michigan |
| Commercial | BetMGM Casino | New Jersey |
| Commercial | FanDuel | Pennsylvania |
| Commercial | Golden Nugget Online Casino | Michigan |
As an example of this, there are several tribal-run online casinos operating in Michigan in partnership with some of the major online betting companies. DraftKings is partnered with the Bay Mills Indian Community. Caesars is paired with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. BetRivers is partnering with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. Fanatics works in tandem with the Northern Waters Casino Resort.
