Expansion of tribal gaming in South Dakota considered

Friday, April 9, 2004  

The South Dakota Gaming Commission held a special meeting on Thursday to receive a report on the possible expansion of Indian and non-Indian gaming in the state.

At least two tribes are considering larger casinos and a third wants to enter the market. The Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe have made proposals to expand their operations. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is proposing to build its first casino near Fort Pierre.

The report analyzed the impacts of expanded tribal gaming. Analyst Will Cummings said tribes could see more than $92 million in gross revenues a year and add nearly 1,000 jobs under the most expansive scenario. Tribal net revenues could increase by $58 million, he said.

Cummings' report said that nine tribal casinos generated $75.4 million in revenues last year. In total, Indian and non-Indian gaming employ nearly 4,900 people, according to the report.

A copy of the report can be found at http://www.state.sd.us/drr2/reg/gaming/Analysis.pdf

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Tribal casino expansion analyzed (AP 4/9)