Last Friday the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) released data showing revenues generated by Indian gaming in 2009. Of the 233 tribes in the US that provide gaming services some reported gains and some reported losses on 2008 figures. Total Gross Gaming Revenue was US$26.5 billion, slightly down from US$26.7 billion in 2008. Previously gaming revenues had increased each year since 1999. In 2009 fourteen new tribal gaming operations were opened, bringing the total to 419.

In 2009, approximately 58% of those operations reported a gaming revenue decrease from their 2008 gaming revenues although over half of those showing decreases had reductions of less than 10%. 39% of the operations showed an increase in gaming revenues. Of these operations, approximately 15% showed more than a 50% increase over 2008 numbers primarily due to casinos that opened during 2008 and recognised the first full-year revenue impact in 2009, and to casino expansions.

Most growth in GGR occurred in two regions, the Oklahoma City region that includes 49 gaming operations in western Oklahoma and Texas (up 6%), and the Portland Region that includes 49 gaming operations throughout Washington State, Idaho and Oregon (up 12%). The Tulsa region (includes Kansas and eastern Oklahoma) saw revenues rise just 1% and the large Washington region (includes Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and New York) had an even smaller revenue increase of 0.1%.

The remaining three regions reported a decrease in gaming revenues. The Phoenix region (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and southern Nevada) had the largest fall in GGR, down 6%, closely followed by the Sacramento region (California and northern Nevada) down 5%. The St Paul region (Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming) had a slight fall of 0.4%.

The NIGC is an independent federal regulatory agency with headquarters in Washington DC. It regulates gaming activities on Indian lands for the purpose of shielding Indian tribes from organized crime and other corrupting influences; to ensure that Indian tribes are the primary beneficiaries of gaming revenue; and to assure that gaming is conducted fairly and honestly by both operators and players. It is authorized to conduct investigations; undertake enforcement actions, including the issuance of notices of violation, assessment of civil fines, and/or issuance of closure orders; conduct background investigations; conduct audits; and review and approve Tribal gaming ordinances. (E-06.15.10)

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