Book details how Oneida Nation women opened first bingo hall

Thursday, May 15, 2014  

The Bingo Queens of Oneida: How Two Moms Started Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin

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)