Oneida Nation Honors 50 Years of Bingo Founded as Community Fundraiser

The Oneida Nation held a weeklong celebration to mark 50 years of bingo operations. The events took place October 12–17 at the Irene Moore Activity Center in Green Bay and ended with the 50th Anniversary Bingo Bash on October 17.

Alma Webster and Sandra Ninham-Brehmer received special recognition during the bash for their foundational work. The two women, employed at the Oneida Civic Center, launched the first bingo games in October 1976 to cover costs for building maintenance, insurance, and supplies so the youth recreation center could remain open.

From Local Effort to Expanded Tribal Operations

Oneida Bingo started as a volunteer-led, once-a-week activity. That same year the Cabazon Tribe in California received recognition of its sovereign right to conduct, operate, and regulate bingo on its lands. Oneida then introduced high-stakes bingo, which grew into sessions seven days a week with multiple daily offerings.

The initiative created full-time jobs for Oneida workers. It also developed into the foundation for the Nation’s later casino operations.

The Milestone’s Place in Tribal Gaming History

According to reporting by Indian Gaming, the anniversary events highlighted the legacy these early steps produced within the community. The celebration connected the original practical goal of sustaining a recreation center to the broader economic outcomes that followed.

This documented progression from a targeted community solution to sustained tribal enterprise offers a clear example of how sovereignty-based gaming can scale when rooted in immediate local requirements. Tribal operators and regulators may note the stability such origins can provide over decades.

Reporting: Indian Gaming

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