Page 6 - October 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

October 2007 Gaming News
Researchers Report Indian Casinos Boost Local Economies
esearchers at the University of California, Riverside have determined that tribal gaming in
California has signi cantly reduced poverty and improved employment, incomes and
education opportunities in communities near casinos, particularly in the poorest regions on reservations are still well below the national average.
of the state.
e report, “Lands of Opportunity: Social and
Economic Effects of Tribal Gaming on Localities,” was presented in the September issue of Policy Matters, a quarterly that provides timely research and guidance on issues of concern to
e authors’ analysis of U.S. Census data reveal that the bene ts have been signi cant. California’s gaming tribes experienced a 55 percent increase in average income per capita between 1990 and 2000, compared to
Still, the improvements in poverty rates and incomes on reservations with casinos are impressive.”
Families living near gaming reservations bene ted nancially as well, Marks and Contreras found. Median average family income grew faster in Census tracts within 10 miles of gaming reservations than those living farther away. California families collectively gained $3.4 billion of additional income because of tribal gaming, they said.
At the same time, the population of individuals age 25 and older who completed high school or who attended college increased signi cantly faster in gaming than non- gaming Census tracts between 1990 and 2000.
“As the Census analysis shows, large gaps remain between the conditions on Indian reservations in California and those enjoyed by other Americans,” Marks and Contreras said.“While the bene ts of tribal government gaming in California have been substantial for tribal members and their neighbors, it will take more time for the economic and social bene ts of tribal government gaming to be fully realized.”
e study was initiated by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and funded by a grant from the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. Neither the association nor the tribe played any role in shaping the study’s ndings. e report is based entirely on analysis of U.S. Census data and other publicly available data. Additional support was provided by the Center for California Native Nations at UC Riverside.
members have become millionaires or that casinos are a drain on their surrounding communities. Incomes
local, state and national level policymakers.
Authors Mindy Marks, assistant professor of economics at UCR, and Kate Spilde Contreras, the managing director of UC Riverside’s Center for California Native Nations, found that gaming oper- ations have bene cial e ects on the tribes, on communities in the vicinity of gaming reservations and on California generally.
“Familieslivingneargaming reservations benefited financially as well, Marks and Contreras found. Median average family income grew fasterinCensustractswithin10 miles of gaming reservations than thoselivingfartheraway.California families collectively gained $3.4 billion of additional income because
of tribal gaming, they said.”
a 15 percent increase on non-gaming reservations. e average income per
capita on California’s gaming reservations was $12,526 in 2000, only 53 percent of the average income for all Americans, the researchers found.
e number of families living in poverty on the state’s gaming reservations dropped from 36 percent in 1990 to 26 percent in 2000, the researchers found. Even so, poverty rates were more than
Because tribal casinos
must be located on existing tribal trust lands that are often located in poorer regions of the state, economic activity resulting from tribal government gaming tends to concentrate employment and other bene ts in the counties that need economic development the most, they said.
twice as high as the state and national averages.
“ is study is important because it is the rst to present the impacts of gaming on economic development for every tribe in California and their surrounding communities,” Marks said. “ ese ndings show that it is a myth to think that all tribal
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
October 2007
FCatch Fantastic Fall Football Promotions at the Casinos
all brings football and Southern California casinos know their guests love the game. Here’s a brief roundup of some exciting casino football promotions we learned about at presstime.
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Gaming News Continues on page 8...
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Southern California Casino Gaming News