In 1908, all gambling activity was banned in Arizona Territory in an effort to win congressional support for statehood. By mid-century, the state of Arizona had legalized pari-mutuel horse-race and dog-race betting and had also established active charity gambling operations. The state has also had a lottery since 1991. When Las Vegas Nights were authorized, commercial gambling suppliers actually took slot machines around to the events. The state also permitted the sale of slot machines, and in the 1980s, several businesses were importing used machines from Nevada and repairing and reselling them throughout the country. The businesses were supplying many of the machines to illegal operators, yet the state took no direct actions to stop the sales.
The many Native American tribes of the state were therefore set back when the state refused to negotiate a compact for casino gambling. After several years of legal maneuvering, the tribes won a federal court order mandating negotiations, and in the early 1990s tribal bingo halls were converted into tribal casinos. Eventually over twenty tribes established casinos; the largest ones, in the Phoenix area, are operated by the Ft. McDowell, Ah-Chin, and Salt River Pima tribes.
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