The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) released data showing revenues generated by the Indian gaming industry in 2015 totaled $29.9 billion dollars. After six years of modest, but stable growth, the 5% increase in GGR from 2014 is the biggest increase in 10 years.

Chairman Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, Vice Chair Kathryn Isom-Clause, and Associate Commissioner E. Sequoyah Simermeyer made the announcement from throughout the homelands of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.  

"The strong regulation that tribes in addition to federal regulators and other stake holders provides has played a key role within the stability and growth of the Indian gaming industry by providing consistency and predictability," said the Chairman of the NIGC, Jonodev O. Chaudhuri.

The Commission also noted the role of the various small or moderately sized Indian gaming operations that support rural economic development where little else has. Only 6.5% of operations can show a $250 million dollar or more GGR. The vast majority of tribes, 57%, generate lower than $25 million per year in gross gaming revenue. And 20% of the entire 474 tribal gaming operations produce not up to $3 million per year.

The chairman further stated that Indian gaming is fundamentally different than commercial enterprises; it directly provides resources for Indian people including, social services, public works, education, housing, health care, emergency services, public safety and cultural presentation programs that no other economic driver has yet to provide.

The announcement was created from a location that was historically significant to the tribal gaming industry. The Commission highlighted Cabazon's early efforts to interact in gaming as a modest technique of pursuing self-sufficiency and the way those efforts ultimately contributed to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of California v. Cabazon, which recognized and reaffirmed the inherent authority of tribal nations to manage gaming activities within their communities.

"The Indian gaming industry can look back on tremendous growth and advancement. Within the 30 years because the Cabazon case was argued before the Supreme Court, Indian gaming has grown right into a multi-billion dollar industry annually. That is in for sure due largely to the innovation, leadership, and positive reputation that Indian Country, along with the regulatory community, has cultivated for the reason that advent of Indian gaming," said Chairman Chaudhuri.

The 2015 GGR was calculated according to 474 independently audited financial statements received by 238 tribes.

Read More... [Source: Gaming Industry News]