Indian gaming revenues rose to their highest level ever after rebounding from a decline in 2009. Figures for 2010 showed revenues for the U.S. market rose 1.3 percent to $26.73 million. Increases on a national basis were in stark contrast to some states. California is the nation’s largest Indian gaming state and saw a 2.5 percent decline. Connecticut, number three on the tribal leader board, was worse off with revenues down 4 percent.
“The positives were that you had smaller states carrying more weight and that balanced things out,” said the author, of the Indian Gaming Industry Report, Alan Meister.
Smaller markets making giant leaps included Oklahoma, up 3.9 percent; Washington, an increase of 7.5 percent; and a group of seven casinos in Alabama, Texas and Alaska rising 12.8 percent. On that list Oklahoma has the most casinos (113) and tribes (33) of any state and passed Connecticut in revenues four years ago. To give an idea of Oklahoma’s size the whole country has 239 tribes operating 448 casinos in 28 states. It’s a long way off the Indian gaming industry’s biggest location, California.
The recession hit the Golden State to send revenues sprawling to $6.78 million. It still possesses 25 percent of the entire country’s Indian gaming revenues and takes more than double that of Oklahoma. Florida is another state that’s being hit by racinos being opened up and it meant just a 0.7 percent increase in revenues.
Casino City Press publishes Meister’s report, which is meticulously prepared for over 12 months, around this time every year.
