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Casino folds up bingo cards

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Wednesday is the last go-round for bingo at Fortune Bay Casino on Lake Vermillion.

The Duluth News Tribune reports the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe is pulling the plug on the game, which was at the center of Fortune Bay's start 26 years ago. It was a full five years before slot machines and blackjack were added. Since then, the bingo hall has been less popular.

Bingo was an important stepping stone in the development of Minnesota's tribal casinos, partly because it was a form of gambling that was already legal in the state.

Northland blogger Aaron Brown's memories of casino bingo are a little hazy, as they drift back to him through a cloud of cigarette smoke.

If you've got a neon dauber that needs a workout to keep from drying up, there are still plenty of bingo halls open for business in Minnesota.

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