Indian Gaming Facts

Benefiting the National Economy.

Nationwide, 233 tribes in 28 states operate 411 gaming facilities, including casinos, bingo halls and pull tab operations. It’s a small number when compared to the entire United States, where nearly 80 percent of state governments and the District of Columbia operate lotteries, and mega casinos, racetracks and card rooms operate in virtually every state in the union.

Tribal governments use their gaming operations to create new jobs, fund essential government services and rebuild communities. Indian gaming continues to have tremendously positive impacts in Indian Country as well as in neighboring non-Indian communities, supporting nearly more than 280,000 jobs directly and more than 350,000 additional jobs indirectly, despite the difficult economy.

The following figures were compiled by the National Indian Gaming Association, the leading national organization consisting of 184 members tribes from across the United States.

From the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Economic Impact Report (2008):

• Tribes generated $25.9 billion in gross gaming revenues
• Tribes produced another $3.2 billion in gross revenues from related resorts, hotels, restaurants and other lodging or entertainment venues
• Tribal gaming supports 636,000 jobs nationwide, both at tribal enterprise and in related businesses
• The U.S. government benefited from $8 billion in tax revenue from tribal gaming operations, including income tax, social security tax and excise tax -- and revenues saved from unemployment and welfare payments it didn’t have to make
• States received $2.5 billion in taxes, regulatory payments and revenue sharing, resulting from state tribal gaming compacts
• Local governments received more than $100 million from gaming tribes
• Nationally, charities garnered $150 million in contributions from gaming tribes
• A 2008 nationwide poll commissioned by the NIGA found 69 percent of respondents supported Indian gaming, while 81 percent agreed Indian tribes benefit from operating casinos

Tribal-gaming related jobs in 2008:

• In 2008, tribes created nearly 284,000 jobs related to gaming. Of those, 202,000 jobs were in the gaming industry, while another 82,000 jobs were in hotels, restaurants and other enterprises that are connected with gaming facilities
• Another 102,000 jobs were created when tribal gaming workers spent their wages
• Many more jobs were created in outside companies that provided goods and services to tribal gaming facilities. Construction and expansion of new and old facilities resulted in 42,000 jobs. And an estimated 208,000 jobs were created by suppliers of other goods and services to the tribal gaming industry
  Wages, taxes and other benefits in 2008:
• Wages earned by tribal workers totaled more than $8.3 billion in 2008. Another $12.4 billion was paid to workers employed by businesses related to tribal gaming. Put together this $20.7 billion in wages generated $6.4 billion in federal tax. Of that $6.4 billion, $3.2 billion was paid in federal income tax payments and $3.2 billion was paid in Social Security tax payments.
• The U.S. government also saved about $1.6 billion in welfare payments and unemployment benefits that it didn’t pay because tribal gaming employed people. As a result, federal treasury revenues increased just over $8 billion in 2008 because of the economic activity surrounding tribal gaming

Ways that tribes spent net revenues of gaming (2008):

• 20% of net revenue is used for education, children/elders, culture, charity and other purposes
• 19% goes to economic development
• 17% to health care
• 17% to police and fire protection
• 16% to infrastructure
• 11% to housing
  2008 Indian Gaming Regulation Expenditures:
• In 2008 gaming tribes spent $345.5 million to fund regulation of their industry. Out of that amount, tribal governments spent $260 million to regulate their own facilities. They gave state governments $71 million to fund regulatory efforts.
• Tribes with gaming operations further gave the National Indian Gaming Commission $16 million in 2008 to fund the Commission’s regulatory activities.

For more information about the economic impacts of Indian Gaming and the National Indian Gaming Association, visit: www.indiangaming.org

Indian Gaming in California Brings Jobs and Income to Areas that Need It Most

by Kate Spilde Contreras, Ph.D, Managing Director for The Center for California Native Nations

http://www.indiangaming.com/regulatory/view/?id=35

Tribal Government Gaming in California Brings Jobs, Income, to Areas Most in Need of Development

UC Riverside researchers publish ground-breaking economic and political study of tribal government gaming
RIVERSIDE, CA -- January 19, 2006(www.ucr.edu)

http://www.pechanga-nsn.gov/page?pageId=413