1993 GAMING COMPACT

The first American Indian government to offer gaming operations on sovereign land, the Oneida Indian Nation made its gaming debut in 1979 with twice-a-weekend bingo from double-wide trailers. After a storied start with irregular bingo games in multiple bingo halls, the Oneida Indian Nation opened a new home for High-Stakes Bingo on May 17, 1990 on Territory Road and has been hosting bingo games ever since.

Following the success of its bingo operation, the Oneida Indian Nation opened the doors of its casino when a gaming compact between the State and the Nation was formalized in 1993.

That same year, the agreement was affirmed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, stating the compact “continues to be in effect for purposes of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA),” Situated within the Oneida reservation, the casino exists on Indian lands as required by IGRA, allowing the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino to continue offering Class III gaming.

Since their modest beginnings, the Oneida Indian Nation has consistently created jobs and generated economic activity in the region, even more so since the 1993 agreement. Instrumental in the signing of the compact, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo defined the Oneida Indian Nation as a “rare model of economic success and collaboration during an era of economic turmoil and divisiveness,” citing its economic investments in the region.