Indian gaming in the US outperformed the commercial casino sector in 2010, a new report shows.
According to Casino City Press’ Indian Gaming Industry Report, Tribal casinos proved resilient in the face of the economic downturn, showing signs of recovery following its first ever decline in gaming revenue in 2009. In 2010, the sector grew 1.3 per cent, generating revenues of $26.7bn nationwide.
Indian gaming outperformed the commercial casinos segment and the card room market, which declined 0.1 per cent and two per cent, respectively.
The racino sector, however, posted the most impressive performance with growth in revenues of five per cent. Overall, Indian gaming facilities generated 44 per cent of all US casino gaming revenue in 2010, compared with the commercial casino sector’s 45 per cent share.
Although the increase in gaming revenue for Indian gaming nationwide offset the previous year’s decline, the improvement was not consistent across the country, the report’s author, Dr Alan Meister, said.
“While Indian gaming grew slightly on a nationwide basis in 2010, the performance of Indian gaming varied widely across gaming facilities, tribes and states. It grew in 19 of 28 states, yet in only 49 per cent of all Indian gaming facilities."
Figures from the American Gaming Association showed that in 2010 the country’s 566 commercial casinos generated economic activity equivalent to one per cent of the national GDP, supported 820,000 jobs and paid $16bn in taxes.
