"The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe recently issued a report showing that gaming on the reservation contributed $30 million toward community programs and services over the past two years. That is certainly substantial, but what does it say about the community's economic engine?

The Mohawk Bingo Palace and Akwesasne Mohawk Casino have always been the main economic contributors, and since slot-machine operations began in 2003, the tribe's general fund has grown by more than $79.1 million.

The latest "How Gaming Benefits Our Community" report, covering 2009 and 2010, was released recently, and it clearly shows how dependent the community is on gaming revenues. The Bingo Palace contributed $6 million in each of those years; the casino, $9 million.

The money goes to good uses, including law-enforcement equipment, community planning, playgrounds, youth activities, Mohawk-language radio programming, cemetery upkeep, the Family Assistance Unit, home-heating and -repair assistance, summer education and health, cultural and environmental programs. The money also benefits a number of service organizations and will help build a new Diabetes Center."

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Editorial: Economic diversification needed (The Waterbury Press-Republican 5/22)