Arizona tribes affected by downturn in economy

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Gaming revenues at Arizona casinos grew by 1.9 percent over the past year, the state Department of Gaming said in a report on Monday.

Tribes generated $1.98 billion at their casinos, making Arizona one of the larger Indian gaming markets. But the growth rate is much smaller than the 8.6 percent increase that tribes saw a year ago.

"The industry as a whole is seeing a decrease in revenue, and that's across the entire country," Wendell Long, a gaming executive for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe told Capitol Media Services.

The tribes shared $96 million with the state and $15 million with local governments.

Get the Story:
Despite losses, casinos OK with growth limits (The Arizona Republic 9/23)
Slump hits casinos' take (Capitol Media Services 9/23)