Page 7 - October 2004 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Indian Gaming Employment Grows 9.4% to
Far Exceed Most Other Industries
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Older Gamblers Healthier?
According to researchers at Yale University, older recreational gamblers seem to be healthier than non-gamblers. Older gamblers
also reported less alcoholism, depression, bankruptcy and incarceration than younger gamblers.
Yale associate professor of psychiatry, Rani A. Desai, said that older people who were getting out into the community and remaining active ... are healthier and tend to stay healthy. But she cautioned that “You cannot conclude out of this research that gambling makes you healthy. What you can conclude is that (older) gamblers are healthier.”
e Yale researchers noted that for people 65 and older, “...recreational gambling...may even possibly provide some bene cial e ect.” Gambling, they found,“may allow for increased socialization, community activity and travel, which may in turn
be re ected in more positive ratings of health.”
e study was reported in the September issue of the American
Journal of Psychiatry. It consisted of nationwide telephone interviews of 2,417 adults and compared the health of older and younger adults who had gambled in the last year with those who had not. Desai said more research had to be done.
e study only considered recreational gamblers and did not study people who had gambling problems.
e Yale report has been compared to studies that found a glass of red wine can healthful. Gamblers of course, need to always set limits, take breaks and be aware of the signs of addiction.
More an 46,000, Mostly Non-Indians, Are Employed in California ndian Casinos
IWhile many of the State’s industries showed little or no job growth over the last 12 months, employment at California Indian gaming casinos continued its rapid growth, employing 46,400 individuals as of August, 2004.
Among industries with 20,000 or more workers, Indian gaming once again had the highest year over year growth, increasing by 9.4%, according to gures just released by the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
“Tribal government gaming is proud to continue its role as a leading creator of jobs for Indians and non- Indians alike,” said Anthony Miranda, chair of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association.“ is isonlythebeginning.”
eMorongoCasinoResortandSpaisopeninga23-storyadditioninDecemberandishiringmorethan 1,000 new employees, while the Pechanga Resort and Casino is hiring 1,750 people for the expansion of its
facilities in November.
New or renegotiated compacts signed by nine tribes in recent months will add even more jobs in the coming
months, not just in new construction, but also permanent jobs in expanded Indian casinos, Miranda said.
Of 357 industries tracked monthly by the EDD, nearly one-third actually lost jobs between August 2003
and August 2004, making the job growth at Indian casinos stand out even more.
“Wages paid to these employees are spent within local communities many times over and in turn create
evenmorejobs,”Mirandasaid.“Bymostestimates,foreveryjobcreatedatanIndiancasino,twoorthree other non-casino jobs are created in surrounding communities.”
Additionally, hundreds of millions of dollars are paid annually by tribal government gaming operations in sales, federal payroll, income, Social Security and other local taxes.
“ e number of jobs created and the amount of taxes paid to various entities will only continue to grow as Indian gaming grows,” Miranda said.
Source: California Nations Indian Gaming Association
October 2004 Page 7
Gaming News (Continued)