The Meskwaki tribal council’s considering a proposal to sell alcohol at their tribal casino in Tama. Of nineteen gambling operations in the state, the Meskwaki Bingo Casino is the only one that doesn’t serve liquor. It’s also the only Indian casino in the state.
Assistant Tama County Attorney, Richard Vander Mey, says he thinks considering the sale of alcohol is a sign the casino’s having trouble with competition from other operations that can sell drinks. Tama County is near Linn, Johnson and Blackhawk Counties, the largest in Iowa to not have their own casinos. That will change when Isle of Capri opens a new casino in Black Hawk County this spring, and it will be closer to Cedar Rapids than the one in Tama is.
There’s also a new casino in Riverside that just opened last fall. Discussion on the proposal to serve alcohol was postponed this week by the death of the tribal council chairman’s father — Homer Bear, Senior.