Electronic tribal gaming comes in two flavors, referred to as 'Class II' and 'Class III'. (Class I gaming refers to those games that have historically been permitted on tribal lands, e.g. standard Bingo).
The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) authorized tribes to offer electronic casino gaming so long as those games were essentially proxies for participation in the equivalent of a standard bingo game. These games are defined as Class II. (There's some conflict in what's defined as an acceptable electronic bingo game and the NIGC is in the process of scaling back that definition.)
Tribal casinos are restricted to offering only Class II games unless they have entered into compacts with the state to expand into Class III gaming.
Video poker in class II form involves a game in which the game result is centrally determined (loss or win/amount) and the machine will produce a hand consistent with that determined win. Because the player can 'interfere' with that result as a consequence of their hold decision, the machines I've seen have a second bonus mechanism that's used to ensure that the predetermined win is awarded. Class II vp doesn't adhere to standard card probabilities and typically all players in the casino, slot and vp, are playing under identical odds -- driven by the central determining processor.
Any table or electronic gaming that falls outside of Class I/II definitions is deemed Class III. It's a catch-all category and makes no assurances about the 'fairness' of that gaming.
Class III gaming can be conducted by tribal casinos authorized to do so under compacts entered with the appropriate state tribal gaming commissions. Whereas the NIGC maintains a semblence of oversight over Type II gaming to ensure tribal compliance, I've seen no evidence of any significant state oversight of Type III gaming equipment to ensure fairness. So, in my opinion, a gambler in a tribal casino places their trust in self oversight.
Clearly, unrecognized machines makes are to be avoided in these casinos. But there's been some comfort provided by playing mainstream makes (IGT, Bally, etc.) since these games were manufactured as standard Nevada compliant equipment. Of course, there is the risk (perhaps modest) that the tribal casino would alter the machines after delivery since there's no later evaluation of the equipment. Whether the level of expertise required to modify the machines is sufficient to make it unlikely is questionable. However, I'd have no problem casually playing these.
But a new variable has been introduced into the picture. As noted elsewhere, IGT and Bally are now making the foray into manufacture and marketing of Class II gaming equipment. IGT Double Diamond machines have been reported on the floor of WA casinos which are restricted to Class II gaming.
I haven't seen any answer to the question of whether IGT will clone it's standard vp machines into Class II versions. Because they recently acquired a traditional Class II gaming manufacturer, I had hoped that they would introduce any new Class II vp under that name plate rather than IGT. I would expect that IGT is sensitive to image integrity (an issue raised in other posts) and wouldn't introduce equipment that could impair their consumer standing. Time will tell.
The bottom line here is simply to be cautious and keep your eyes open.
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