National Indian Gaming Commission makes historic announcement in Indio

The National Indian Gaming Commission said thanks to strong regulation, gross gaming revenue in 2015 was the highest it’s ever been. The 5% increase in GGR from 2014 is the largest increase in 10 years.

“We are proud to announce that Indian country’s 2015 gross gaming revenue was $29.9 billion dollars,” said Chairman Jonodev Osceola Chandhuri.

For the first time, the commission revealed the revenue information live to the public at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Tuesday.

Of more than 230 tribes included in the revenues, all increased between 3 and 8 percent in 2015. The chairman and members of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians said the announcement validated they’ve come a long way and so has the valley economy.

“It shows the growth that’s happening in our valley and the region, the other tribes. Everyone is doing well,” Chairman Doug Welmas said.

“We’ve been through in the last 10 years a horrendous recession. A lot of people have lost jobs and lost homes. We are proud to be able to provide jobs here and we were actually a tribe that never laid anyone off,” said Brenda Soulliere of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.

Soulliere said casinos and resorts in the desert not only provide jobs to boost the local economy, but they also help the tribes remain self sufficient.

“They’re not really profits. They’re funds that come to the tribal government and the tribal government is able to provide basic things that people take for granted like education, health care, things like that,” Soulliere said.

The NIGC said this is the first time since the 2012 it’s seen growth in each region.

“To hear the revenue numbers are finally turning around for Indian county usually means for the rest of the country too,” Soulliere said.

For more information, visit www.nigc.gov