A row of electronic gaming machines at the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort in Glendale, Arizona. The Tohono O'odham Nation owns and operates the facility but can't offer Class III games there because the state refuses to certify it under the Class III gaming compact. Photo from Facebook
Tribes in Arizona are sending fewer gaming dollars to the state and a top official is trying to blame the drop on a new casino. Tribes shared $25 million in the quarter that ended on June 30, 2016, the Department of Gaming reported. That's about 2.9 percent lower when compared to the same period in 2015. "While we have seen a small change in gaming revenue, the numbers still showcase how well the gaming industry is doing around Arizona and the high consumer confidence people have while living and playing in our state," Daniel Bergin, the director of the department, said in a press release on Tuesday. The figures marked the second quarter in a row that revenue sharing has declined. They fell 5.1 percent in the quarter that ended March 31, according to the department. Both of those quarters came after the Tohono O'odham Nation opened a new gaming facility. But since the state refuses to certify the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort, the tribe can only offer Class II games there. As a result, the tribe isn't required to share revenues. Bergin, however, did not own up to his department's role in creating that situation. "For the first time since Arizona embraced tribal gaming, a casino is operating in the Valley that does not share revenue with the state," the press release read. Bergin also said the new casino is "not regulated" by his department. Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, states do not play a role at all in Class II gaming, something that isn't mentioned in the press release either. The press release further claimed the lack of a state role at the new casino makes it "impossible to know what effect it is having on statewide gaming numbers" without acknowledging that Bergin has the authority to certify the facility for Class III games and require the tribe to contribute revenues. The department could also look at the figures submitted by tribes in the same region as the new casino and determine whether they in fact have dropped since Desert Diamond West Valley opened in December. The Tohono O'odham Nation is suing the state in hopes of offering Class III games. Bergin's department is fighting the lawsuit. Read More on the Story:
Arizona tribal casino gambling revenue down by 2.9 percent (AP 8/2)
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