A new study by the American Gaming Association revealed the top states for economic economy derived from tribal gaming. According to the report, which relied on the latest data, Arizona was fourth in the top six states mentioned in the study.
Twenty-eight states overall have tribal gaming operations. Among them, Arizona ranked fifth when it came to total sales, with the state generating $4.75 billion per year. The Grand Canyon State ranked sixth when it came to taxes and other types of revenue payments to the government, paying $691 million per year.
Arizona provides employment to 38,000 people in its tribal casino industry, making it fourth overall among the top half dozen states. Wages derived from these jobs totaled an impressive $2 billion overall.
The American Gaming Association issued a statement on the latest report. The senior vice president of the AGA, Sara Slane said: “This report details the widespread economic impact that tribal casinos have in states across the country, providing diverse opportunities, supporting local businesses and generating tax revenue and revenue-share payments for all levels of government. “
So who are the top performers in the AGA report?
Not surprisingly, California came out on top when it looking at tribal gaming sales, employment and taxation. The state generated a whopping $20 billion in revenue, provided 125,000 jobs and paid government entities $3.4 billion in taxes and other forms of revenue-payment schemes.
The state with the largest number of tribal gaming operations was Oklahoma. The Native America State has 131 of these establishments and came second (behind California) in terms of employment, wagers and economic activity.
Other key highlights from the report included:
- Tribal gaming generated $105 billion in sales overall across the United States.
- The industry supports 676,000 full time jobs, paying $36 billion in wagers and $15 billion in taxes.
- 45% of all gaming revenue in the United States originates from tribal casinos.
