" Thirty-seven states now have some form of casino gambling, and too often, more has not translated to better. Frequently, nondestination casinos - which are most casinos outside of Vegas, New Jersey, Connecticut and the rebuilding Gulf Coast - are drab warehouses stuffed with slot machines.

But occasionally a casino winds up far exceeding the expectations for a "locals" casino. You may not travel specifically to visit these gaming halls, but once you're in the neighborhood, you might discover a pleasant surprise.

Buffalo Thunder
Santa Fe, N.M.

There's no mistaking the American Indian influences in this casino that opened in September just north of the state capital.

Owned by the Pueblo of Pojoaque, a tribe with fewer than 400 members, the casino displays 200 pieces of American Indian art, including pottery, paintings, tapestries, carvings and sculptures. Three large bronzes of Indian dancers were created by the Pueblo governor, George Rivera. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the art.

By Vegas and Atlantic City standards, it's a cozy casino, with 22 table games, 1,200 slots, and a 10-table poker room. All the slots are touch-screen, multidenominational machines."

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Gaming Traveler: Some winning nondestination casinos (The Philadelphia Inquirer 11/16)