California tribes enter another year amid downturn

Thursday, January 7, 2010  

California's Indian gaming industry remains the largest in the nation but revenues have fallen over the past two years as the nation's economic slump continues.

"California is in a recession like the rest of the country,” Vin Narayanan of Casino City told Capitol Weekly. “Gambling is a leisure activity. People are still going to gamble, but in a recession they are going to gamble less because they can afford to lose less.”

According to the Indian Gaming Industry Report, California tribes took in about $7.3 billion in 2008. That's down $500 million from 2007 and $300 million lower than 2006.

A number of tribes in the state have halted or scaled back expansion projects and have reduced their workforce due to the economy.

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Signals appear mixed in 2010 for California’s tribal gaming industry (Capitol Weekly 1/7)