Arizona Indian Gaming Revenue Down—What, Me Worry?

The Arizona Department of Gaming reports that revenue generated by tribal casinos is down, and that has state and local policymakers worried—about their own coffers.

Since 2003, Arizona tribes have distributed about $430 million to the state, which then channels the funds to various programs, like schools, hospitals, wildlife conservation, police protection, and other social services, including the mitigation of gambling addiction.

Indian gaming revenue fell 7.5 percent in the last quarter, the steepest drop in five years of revenue sharing. The economic downturn is being felt throughout the gaming industry—tribal, commercial, and charitable alike—and high gas and food prices and less disposable income for middle-class families hit “local” casinos particularly hard.

The state, therefore, may feel the pinch.

That’s a downside of tethering state public policy to revenue sharing—and why many states secretly (or not) hope that the Indian gaming industry stays on top of its game.

Read more in the Tucson Citizen.