Recession and Public Policies Curb Industry Growth

December 10, 2009?Dr. Alan Meister, author of the annual Indian Gaming Industry Report, attributes the slower growth of Indian gaming in 2008 to the recession. The slowing growth pattern of previous years, however, was the result of public policies designed to restrict the supply of Indian gaming.

Frequently cited by the press, the report is a trusted resource for government and regulatory agencies, investors, and the industry itself, as well as associated industries. According to the report, revenue from Indian gaming facilities was approximately $26.8 billion in 2008 and grew 1.5 percent, the slowest growth in its reported history?though still respectable given the general economic downturn and the decline in the commercial gaming segment of the industry. Nearly half the states with Indian gaming experienced declines in gaming revenue, while the other half experienced growth. Growth was greatest in Alaska, Alabama, Nebraska, and Wyoming, and Oklahoma has become the second largest Indian gaming state after California. Together, California and Oklahoma accounted for approximately 38 percent of all gaming revenue at Indian gaming facilities nationwide in 2008.

The Indian Gaming Industry Report is the most comprehensive, up-to-date study of Indian gaming available. It provides both nationwide statistics and state-by-state statistics on gaming and non-gaming revenue; Class II vs. Class III gaming; numbers of facilities, tribes, gaming machines, and table games; market summaries; trends; and the fiscal impact of Indian gaming, including revenue sharing with state and local governments. The report also examines reasons for the continued growth of Indian gaming, analyzes the industry?s impact on the U.S. economy, and presents a qualitative future outlook for Indian gaming.

Its author, Dr. Meister, joined Nathan Associates in 2009 and has conducted extensive research and analysis of the gaming industry, particularly Indian gaming, over the last decade. His research and analyses have been relied on in matters before the United States Supreme Court and the World Trade Organization. He has also been commissioned by the National Indian Gaming Commission to independently analyze the economic effects of proposed changes in Indian gaming regulations.

To order a copy of the report, please visit www.indiangamingreport.com.

For more information on the report and on Nathan Associates Gaming Industry and Indian gaming industry work, please contact:

Alan P. Meister, Ph.D.
Nathan Associates Inc.
T: 949-474-4955