Native American Times - America's Largest Independent, Native American News Source

Native American Times - America's Largest Independent, Native American News Source: "Report: Indian gaming in Oklahoma has 'experienced remarkable growth'
State leads nation in number of new casinos

TULSA OK
Native American Times and Associated Press 6/15/2005

American Indian tribes shared $900 million in casino gambling revenue with governments in 2004, a 23 percent increase over the previous year, according to a comprehensive review of Indian gaming.

The industry was responsible for $8.8 billion in wages, and 277,000 jobs.

The Indian Gaming Industry Report, compiled by Alan Meister, a Los Angeles-based economist with Analysis Group, also characterizes Indian gaming in Oklahoma as undergoing �remarkable growth.�

According to the report, Indian tribes contributed a whopping $6.2 billion in taxes, two-thirds of which went to the federal government. The rest was split between local and state governments.

Some tribes have come to resent legislators who rely on tribal revenue sharing for their state budgets, Meister said.

'Every new agreement is involving some sort of revenue sharing [with the state]. I don't think necessarily that all tribes are against it, but it's got to be a win-win relationship.'

Some factoids from the report, as compiled by the Native American Times.

-The top two revenue generating Indian gaming states, California and Connecticut, accounted for almost 40 percent of the nationwide total. The top five grossing states, which included (from high to low) Arizona, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, accounted for 60.1 percent of total gaming revenue at Indian gaming facilities. Compared to 2003, the top five states experienced a slight change in order as Arizona moved ahead of Minnesota to ran"