A new book tells the story of the first tribal bingo hall in Wisconsin.
Sandy Ninham and Alma Webster came up with the idea in 1979 as a way to raise revenue for the
Oneida Nation. In the first year alone, the bingo hall took in $382,000, paving the way for modern Indian gaming industry in the state.
“A lot of people have worked on making that a success. We might have been the two people who were the catalyst to get it going, but there were a lot of people and a lot of support to make it a success," Ninham says in
The Bingo Queens of Oneida: How Two Moms Started Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin
, Gannett Wisconsin Media reported.
The tribe now offers Class II and Class III gaming at six facilities, including the flagship
Oneida Casino.
Get the Story:
Bingo Queens: Moms just wanted to pay the bills when they started Oneida bingo
(Gannett Wisconsin Media 5/14)
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