In 2010 alone, Indian gaming was responsible for $86 billion in total economic output, which includes 706,000 American jobs, and $29.2 billion in wages. The jobs data includes 306,000 direct jobs ($12.6 billion in wages), 140,000 indirect jobs (6.3 billion in wages), and 260,000 induced jobs ($10.2 billion in wages).
Indian gaming revenues have also saved thousands of American jobs outside of Indian Country. A June 2011 National Public Radio report, titled “Casino Revenue Helps Tribes Aid Local Governments,” acknowledged that revenue from the Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington helped prevent additional layoffs at the local Everett, Washington prosecutor’s office. The article also noted to the $1.3 million that the Tulalip Tribes recently gave to the local school district after they heard about possible budget cuts and teacher layoffs. These same scenarios are taking place in more than a hundred local jurisdictions throughout the United States, saving thousands of jobs for American health care workers, fire fighters, police officers, and many other local officials that provide essential services to children, elders, and others.
As governments, acknowledged in the U.S. Constitution, Indian tribes are not directly taxed. However, Indian gaming generates $12.5 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue, and an additional $1.5 billion in direct payments to federal, state, and local governments in the form of payments to defray regulatory costs, revenue sharing, and other cooperative agreements.
So as you can see, there is much at stake to not only Indian country, but the Nation as a whole in the federal debate to legalize Internet gaming.
In the face of the DOJ Wire Act opinion, NIGA’s Member Tribes and our legislative partner, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), remain committed to protecting tribal sovereignty in any Internet gaming legislation that moves forward.
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National Indian Tribal Leadership Meets To Address Federal Internet Gaming was originally published on elev8.com
