By contrast, the curve for reservations was much more dispersed and with a greatly elongated and more substantial tail. There are actually a higher proportion of reservations with per capita job counts of well below 0.5 and the overall peak of the distribution, although uneven, stretches from approximately 0.3 to 0.8. From that peak, however, the distribution stretches out in measurable amounts as far as five jobs per capita, with many reservations falling in the 3.0 to 5.0 jobs per capita range. More detailed exploration of the job counts by sector showed that the extended tail was largely attributable to NAICS categories 71 and 72, the aforementioned Arts/Entertainment/Rec. and Accommodations/Food categories. It is also important to reiterate that the job counts described are based on the location of the employer, not the residential locations or racial/ethnic makeup of the employees. While many tribal members work for their own governments and in their own casinos, they do not all live within their reservation boundaries and they are not the only employees of those entities. Significant employment of non-Native residents in the surrounding area in addition to tribal members is one of the major positive economic impacts of Indian gaming operations nationally. The significant positive impact of Indian gaming on tribal economies is undeniable. No other industry sector or economic initiative has had the type of positive impact on tribal economies in terms of magnitude, speed and consistency in the history of relations between the U.S. and resident tribes. According to a recent economic impact study of Indian gaming by Dupris Consulting Group for the National Indian Gaming Association, Indian casinos and their ancillary facilities transferred nearly $12.6 billion in funds to their owning tribes for governmental services and member benefits. They also supported over 312,500 jobs directly and generated a total economic impact of nearly $89 billion for their home reservations and surrounding non-native communities. Indeed, an estimated 75 percent of jobs in Indian gaming are held by non-tribal citizens. The growth of Indian gaming in the U.S. has been remarkable and remarkably durable. Since the passage of IGRA in 1988, Indian gaming revenue has increased in every single year but two and declined only once, from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession, by less than one percent. After remaining steady the following year, it resumed its upward march. Total gaming win at Indian casinos equaled $33.7 billion in 2018, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). Indian casinos have closed to within 20 percent of the gaming win at commercial casinos across the country. While 2019 figures have not yet been released, additional growth over 2018 is assured. The following table shows gaming revenue at Indian casinos from 2009 through 2018 from NIGC data compared with gaming win at commercial casinos for the same years.
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