National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer and Vice Chair Kathryn Isom-Clause recently announced fiscal year 2019 gross gaming revenue for the Indian gaming industry set a new record at $34.6 billion, an increase of 2.5 percent over 2018—the highest revenue total since the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was enacted 32 years ago.
Nearly every NIGC region experienced growth in fiscal 2019, with the Oklahoma City region posting the largest increase of 7.7 percent. The reporting period ended before the Covid-19 pandemic forced every tribal gaming operation to temporarily close.
Simermeyer said, “Healthy tribal economies are important to promoting the tribal self-sufficiency envisioned in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The growth reflected in the 2019 gaming revenue demonstrates the strength of tribal economies in recent years. The Indian gaming industry is a vital component to many tribal economies across the country.”
Many Indian gaming operations remain closed or are operating at reduced capacity due to Covid-19. Some have been closed since March 2020. Simermeyer noted, “It is important to recognize the pandemic’s impact on tribes. Tribes’ dedication to a safe and sustainable Indian gaming industry is demonstrated in the preventative measures tribes continue to take during the challenging economic times brought on by the pandemic. This same dedication has fostered a successful and responsibly regulated Indian gaming industry over several decades.”
Vice Chair Isom-Clause added, “While we welcome this positive report from fiscal 2019, we know that the current reality is dramatically different. Future reports will reflect the effects of the pandemic on the industry, as well as how it continues to adapt to changing circumstances. Despite these current hardships, Indian gaming, like the tribal nations it benefits, has proved its resiliency over the years.”
The fiscal 2019 gross gaming revenue figure is calculated from 522 independently audited financial statements submitted to the NIGC by 245 federally recognized tribes across 29 states.
