Tribal casinos across the country took in $19.4 billion in 2004, the National Indian Gaming Commission reported on Wednesday.
Based on information submitted by tribes with casinos, the agency provided national and regional breakdowns of the growing Indian gaming industry. Overall, tribes saw a 15.3 percent increase in revenues, the federal agency said.
The largest growth occurred in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, where tribes reported $1.2 billion in revenues, a whopping 43.9 percent increase over 2003. Oklahoma's market has rapidly expanded in recent years.
Every other region also saw gains, although they weren't as dramatic. Tribes in California, and Northern Nevada reported $5.8 billion in revenues, the highest in the country, a 23.2 percent increase over 2003.
"The Indian gaming industry continues to grow at a steady pace," said Phil Hogen, the chairman of the NIGC. "This growth has allowed tribes to create jobs, continue economic development opportunities, build much needed infrastructure within their communities and provide services for their members. This industry also continues to provide jobs and opportunities for surrounding communities."
Tribal leaders confirmed those statements on Tuesday. At a press conference in Washington, D.C., they said casinos have improved the quality of life on reservations throughout the country.
"Our gaming revenues allow us to address some of our needs," said Emily Conklin, the vice chair of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas. She said the casino funds the tribe's education, health care, fire and police departments, and is helping to fund a critical water project that will resolve a long
running drought on the reservation.
"It's just a catalyst for us to move on and expand," she said of tribal gaming.
The growth has not come without added scrutiny. Key leaders in the Senate and House have held a series of hearings to determine whether the industry needs more regulation and to respond to criticism of practices like off-reservation gaming.
"If any of the witnesses today believe that we do not have that responsibility, then we have a respectful disagreement," Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the chairman of the Senate
Indian Affairs Committee, said at a June 28 hearing.
McCain's aggressiveness has bristled some tribal leaders. In its latest newsletter, the National Indian Gaming Association, the largest tribal casino lobby, said it hoped to find "common ground" with McCain on a number of issues and called on the senator not to introduce a bill without first circulating it among tribes.
"Indian gaming is one of the most tightly regulated industries in the country," NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. said on Tuesday. NIGA wants McCain to hold a field hearing in Indian Country to see casino regulation first hand.
The figures reported by NIGC yesterday are in line with those released by NIGA and the Analysis Group, which publishes a yearly report on Indian gaming.
Tribal Gaming Revenues (in thousands) by Region
| Region | Number of Operations
| Revenues | Increase (from 2003) |
|
I | 44 | 1,601,346 | 11.1% |
|
II | 52 | 5,788,332 | 23.2% |
|
III | 43 | 2,133,116 | 12.4% |
| IV | 117 | 3,815,763 | 6.1% |
| V | 84 | 1,248,089 | 43.9% |
| VI | 27 | 4,820,864 | 11.5% |
| Totals |
367 | 19,407,510 | 15.3% |
Source: National Indian Gaming Commission
Region I - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
Region II - California, and Northern Nevada
Region III - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Southern Nevada
Region IV - Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin
Region V - Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
Region VI - Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, and New York
Relevant Documents:
Tribal Gaming Revenues (National Indian Gaming Commission July 13, 2005)
Relevant Links:
National Indian Gaming Commission -
http://www.nigc.gov National
Indian Gaming Association -
http://www.indiangaming.org
