Shooting Star, Mahnomen, MN

[Minn. Fatz]

The Shooting Star Casino on the White Earth Reservation in Mahnomen, MN is a pleasant enough place to lose your money. A wide variety of machines from penny to dollar denominations are well laid out on a compact, but not claustrophobic, floor. $5 and up players have a smaller selection of machines in their own private room with a "players only" sign. Service is quick and courteous; I got a fast fill on my nickel machine when I needed one, which tells me the management knows the value of keeping the machines going.
Given the returns on VP I can't blame them. The best, or at least most interesting, game for nickels and/or quarters I found was Bonus Triple Play (800/50/80/40/25/10/8/5/3/1/1) on an Action Gaming machine, returning around 94.1%. Payoffs may be better for dollars. Perhaps shadowman or another intrepid traveler knows where the OEJ machines are but I couldn't locate any.
Table games include blackjack and the usual suspects. The minimum for the Let It Ride table I passed was $2; given typical house edges ranging from 3-3.7% on that game it might be a relatively good deal. The Shooting Star has a remarkably active poker room for its remote location. All the tables were active during our Friday night visit. The cheapest Hold 'Em game was $2-$10 spread, three-raise limit, so if you have the stones and/or the back to lay a potential $160 on a hand of cards that may be the game for you. The poker host told me he hadn't laid a $2-$4 game in over a year. Spread limit's hard on short rolls.
The casino has a comfortable bar with live entertainment, a snack bar, table service restaurant and a good-looking buffet. The Beach Boys were scheduled to play later in the week.

[shadowman]

I've never been to the Shooting Star. I've played OEJs at the two Grand casinos and Treasure Island. I've been told by good sources they can be found at Fonduluth (sp) and Jackpot Junction. They could be other places as well ,including the casino at Walker (don't remember the name), but I didn't know the person who told me.
 
If you live in that part of the state it would be a long trip to get to the casinos I first mentioned.