In 1621 the Wampanoag Nation provided food for British pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving.

Last week -- 390 years later -- the state of Massachussets voted to give the Wampanoag Nation a license to operate a casino.

This reversal is indicative of the historical trend. The Native American Nations have entered the casino business, operating with special rights on the margins of society.

The Indian Gaming industry claimed $26.5 billion in revenue in 2010. This staggering figure represents three quarters of all casino revenue in the U.S.

Indian tribes operate nearly all the casinos outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Not only that, many of them are bigger than the biggest casinos in Vegas, like Connecticut's Foxwoods Resort, which has its own MGM Grand.

Some come complete with 18-hole golf courses, high-end shopping centers, or outdoor ice skating rinks. The biggest ones have over 6,000 slot machines and nearly 100 different poker tables.

There are now over 400 casinos operated by more than 200 tribes throughout the U.S., and the number of casinos opening is still growing. The Midwest is home to many of them, but the biggest ones are scattered throughout the nation.