Indian Casinos Lose Revenue For First Time, Except For California
An economist says that for the first time, revenue has fallen at American Indian gambling casinos nationwide.
Alan Meister says in the Indian Gaming Industry Report released Wednesday that casinos generated about $26.4 billion in 2009, down 1 percent from 2008. He says the decline was triggered by a recession that forced consumers to cut spending.
The report noted that more than 200 Indian tribes operated nearly 450 casinos in 28 states. Revenue from food and beverages, lodging, entertainment and shopping declined 4 percent to $3.2 billion in 2009.
Leading the Indian gaming states was California ($7.7 billion).
The Coachella Valley is home to casinos owned by several tribes, which bring in millions of dollars in revenue for the tribes and millions in tax dollars for the cities.
California was so powerful, together with Oklahoma, the pair accounted for approximately 38 percent of all gaming revenue at Indian gaming facilities nationwide in 2008.
Meister says public policies that restrict Indian gambling helped slow the rate of revenue growth before the recession.
He says the highest revenue growth in 2009 was in Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska and Wyoming. Revenue declined at Indian casinos in Arizona, Connecticut, Iowa and Mississippi.
?Despite the 2009 downturn, the future outlook for Indian gaming remains positive,” Meister said. “In the short term, there is a lot of uncertainty due to the general state of the economy.?
