Growth , Success and Prosperity-- the Right Way
Since the start of 2022 , the U . S . gaming industry has experienced a revitalization of epic proportions , posting record revenues despite constant fears related to lingering pandemic impacts and economic uncertainty .
Much of the conversation , however , has revolved around big-name commercial operators and bookmakers , and while they have certainly experienced growth , they ’ ve also made some headline-grabbing mistakes , and one cannot tell the full story of this record-breaking resurgence without admiring the steady role that tribal gaming has played in that success .
Indeed , it ’ s hard to detail all of the victories that tribal operators have enjoyed in the last 15 or so months , but they encompass nearly all aspects of U . S . gaming , from land-based casinos to sports betting and everything in between .
Perhaps the most notable example came from California this past November , when commercial bookmakers flamed out in epic fashion , setting hundreds of millions on fire in a brazen attempt to disrupt what has long been the biggest tribal market in the U . S . The extremely public defeat of Prop 27 was easily the biggest reminder in recent memory that tribal gaming is a force to be reckoned with , both now and in the future .
And not even six months later , those same sentiments were echoed in Washington state , when U . S . District Court Judge David Estudillo quickly dismissed Maverick Gaming ’ s lawsuit that challenged the tribal monopoly on sports betting in the market .
The comments given by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson after the ruling were , I believe , extremely indicative of what regulators and patrons all over the country are starting to realize , and that is that tribal outfits are incredibly well-run organizations whose track records are becoming increasingly more impressive , especially as commercial operators continue to fall over themselves in a scramble to expand everywhere , at any cost .
Ferguson called the ruling “ a significant victory for tribal sovereignty ,” and noted that “ Washington law strikes the right balance by permitting sports betting and confining it to tribal casinos , where tribes have experience carefully regulating gambling where individuals must be
By Jess Marquez physically present .”
Such endorsements are almost impossible to find in today ’ s industry , and although Maverick and most of the larger commercial bookmakers have vowed to continue their respective quests , their initial losses were sizeable , and may serve as a boon for other battles , such as the legal gridlock that is currently preventing the Seminole Tribe from launching sports betting in Florida , another tribal hotspot .
Earlier this month , the American Gaming Association celebrated the fact that commercial gaming revenues surpassed $ 60 billion in 2022 , which represented a new record for the U . S . Tribal revenues were notably absent from that report , but as CNIGA Chairman James Siva said during a presentation at the recent ICE London conference , the tribal market “ now represents 44 percent of the total gaming market in the U . S .”
I ’ m no mathematician , but based on that percentage , one can deduce that tribal operators brought in at least $ 40 billion last year . The number itself is eye-popping , but what makes it even more impressive is that it came quietly — no scandals , no regulatory gruff and no controversy .
That goodwill is now starting to pay off in a big way , especially as tribes look to expand into new markets . Take Las Vegas for example — the once-impenetrable commercial mecca now has a multitude of tribal developments , from the San Manuel Band ’ s new-look Palms to the Seminoles ’ takeover of the Mirage via Hard Rock International . Both examples were welcomed with open arms by Nevada regulators , who are notoriously scrupulous and hard to impress .
So , as we enter the newest phase of tribal gaming , one defined by full-scale integrated resorts , international investments and tens of billions in revenues , it ’ s important to remember that no matter how big and flashy tribal operators may become , their insistence on doing things the right way is and always has been the catalyst behind their unprecedented growth .
Our goal for this year ’ s edition of Tribal Government Gaming is to shed some light on the latest and greatest innovations that tribal gaming has to offer , while also highlighting the figures most responsible for setting that impressive standard . And if the sector continues its current trajectory , it ’ s hard to imagine we ’ ll be saying anything different come next year and beyond .
TRIBAL Government Gaming 2023
Roger Gros , Publisher | rgros @ ggbmagazine . com twitter : @ GlobalGamingBiz
Jess Marquez , Editor jmarquez @ ggbmagazine . com
Frank Legato , Managing Editor | flegato @ ggbmagazine . com twitter : @ FranklySpeakn
Monica Cooley , Art Director mcooley @ ggbmagazine . com
Terri Brady , Sales & Marketing Director tbrady @ ggbmagazine . com
Becky Kingman-Gros , Chief Operating Officer bkingros @ ggbmagazine . com
Lisa Johnson , Communications Advisor lisa @ lisajohnsoncommunications . com twitter : @ LisaJohnsonPR
Columnists Carl Long | Judy Shapiro E . Sequoya Simermeyer
Contributing Editors Dave Bontempo twitter : @ bontempomedia Grant Eve | Chris Irwin | Pamela Jones Marjorie Preston | Dr . Kate Spilde
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Rino Armeni , President , Armeni Enterprises
• Mark A . Birtha , Senior Vice President & General Manager , Hard Rock International
• Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs , President , Lifescapes International
• Nicholas Casiello Jr ., Shareholder , Fox Rothschild
• Jeffrey Compton , Publisher , CDC E-Reports twitter : @ CDCNewswire
• Dean Macomber , President , Macomber International , Inc .
• Stephen Martino , Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer , MGM Resorts International , twitter : @ stephenmartino
• Jim Rafferty , President , Rafferty & Associates
• Thomas Reilly , Vice President Systems Sales , Scientific Games
• Michael Soll , President , The Innovation Group
• Katherine Spilde , Executive Director , Sycuan Gaming Institute , San Diego State University , twitter : @ kspilde
• Ernie Stevens , Jr ., Chairman , National Indian Gaming Association twitter : @ NIGA1985
• Roy Student , President , Applied Management Strategies
•
David D . Waddell , Partner Regulatory Management Counselors PC
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The views and opinions expressed by the writers and columnists of GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS are not necessarily the views of the publisher or editor .
Copyright 2023 Global Gaming Business LLC . Boulder City , NV 89005
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4 TRIBAL GOVERNMENT GAMING 2023