Post by blackcrowheart on May 1, 2007 12:57:38 GMT -5
Report says payoff from state's gambling industry is limited
By JamesP. Sweeney
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
SACRAMENTO – California's $7 billion Indian gambling industry is not likely to become a major state revenue source for years, is unevenly regulated and may be doing little to help most American Indians in the state, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.
Against that backdrop, the report says state lawmakers face some major policy questions, including “how much more should the tribal casino industry expand in California.”
The 20-page report says the Schwarzenegger administration's recent budget projection of up to $539 million from Indian gaming could be realized over several years, but is “very unlikely” in the near term.
Moreover, tribal gaming will generate less than one-half of 1 percent of the state's general fund revenue “for the foreseeable future,” the analyst concluded.
The regulatory shortcomings were outlined in documents submitted by the California Gambling Control Commission, which cited limited access to tribal financial reports and other information related to internal controls over slot machines and revenues, as well as differing sets of requirements for different tribes.
The windfall from gaming has been limited to a relatively small portion of the state's Native American population, the report says. Just 9 percent of the state's American Indians are members of gaming tribes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While other federally recognized tribes receive up to $1.1 million in revenue sharing from gaming, the analyst concludes that for most tribal members, it's “unclear that casinos have helped much.”
By JamesP. Sweeney
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
SACRAMENTO – California's $7 billion Indian gambling industry is not likely to become a major state revenue source for years, is unevenly regulated and may be doing little to help most American Indians in the state, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.
Against that backdrop, the report says state lawmakers face some major policy questions, including “how much more should the tribal casino industry expand in California.”
The 20-page report says the Schwarzenegger administration's recent budget projection of up to $539 million from Indian gaming could be realized over several years, but is “very unlikely” in the near term.
Moreover, tribal gaming will generate less than one-half of 1 percent of the state's general fund revenue “for the foreseeable future,” the analyst concluded.
The regulatory shortcomings were outlined in documents submitted by the California Gambling Control Commission, which cited limited access to tribal financial reports and other information related to internal controls over slot machines and revenues, as well as differing sets of requirements for different tribes.
The windfall from gaming has been limited to a relatively small portion of the state's Native American population, the report says. Just 9 percent of the state's American Indians are members of gaming tribes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While other federally recognized tribes receive up to $1.1 million in revenue sharing from gaming, the analyst concludes that for most tribal members, it's “unclear that casinos have helped much.”