Indian Gaming

4 Pages 944 Words

A current controversy surrounding our community are the “compacts” concerning the state and Indian Gambling; opponents of Indian Gaming say that the revenue from casinos is either drawing away from the Arizona economy or becoming a burden for it. These statements are far from the truth. In a recent article for The Arizona Republic David LaSarte, executive director of the Indian Gaming Association stated that the revenue gained from a casino helps both the Indian community as well as the non-Indian community. Indian reservations, which for years have lived in desperate poverty are now gaining and expanding the most basic of services: health care, education, and police and fire services. In the non-Indian community, any revenue gained from the casinos is automatically spent in Arizona cities on goods and services. The money generated from Indian gambling is helping Indian communities gain financial independence as well as contributing to the Arizona economy.
As a result of the Supreme Court decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988; recognizing Indian gaming rights.1 Another reason Congress passed IGRA was in an effort to, “balance Native American legal rights with the interests of the states and the gambling industry” (Anders 1). Within the IGRA there are specific rules that the tribes must adhere to. The most important rule is that the states and the tribes must, “negotiate in good faith” to create gambling compacts (Anders 1). These compacts are legal agreements made between states and the tribes regarding the kinds of games played at the casino, size of the facility, betting limits, regulation, and security. Not only do these compacts ensure the states of their rights, but they also secure the tribes as the sole owners and primary beneficiaries of the gaming revenue. The second stipulation is that all casino profits must be used ex...