Casinos are cash-intensive and many offer a wide variety of financial services, similar to banks.
Without effective safeguards, they may be vulnerable to money laundering. This information preserves a financial trail for investigators to follow and is an invaluable tool in criminal, tax, and regulatory investigations or proceedings. Congress specifically extended Treasury's BSA authority to tribal gaming when it enacted the Money Laundering Suppression Act in 1994. Tribal casino growth has been just as dramatic, with approximately 120 tribal casinos located in 16 states, with new operations expected to open in an additional eight states within the coming year. He pointed out that the method of operation of casinos on Indian lands is no different than the method of operation of state licensed casinos.