An example of the impact can be seen in slot revenue for Connecticut’s two major Indian casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. In February of this year, before the virus was known to be widespread and before closures began, Foxwoods had slot revenue of $35.7 million according to state revenue sharing data, up 4.5 percent form 2019. In March, when the virus ravaged New England and the country as a whole and the shut downs began, slot revenue was $13,989,529, down over 65 percent from March of 2019. The same pattern hit Mohegan Sun, February slot win of $44,460,839, up 2.2 percent from 2019, followed by March revenue of $19,503,520, down 62 percent from last year. Of course, the declines have been 100 percent through April and May and will remain that way until the casinos reopen, currently scheduled for June 1 st on a limited basis. Indian country is dependent on tourism for more than just gaming revenue. Other tourist related businesses have suffered as greatly as casinos from the pandemic and mitigation efforts. According to a survey of native and tribally-owned tourist businesses on April 1 st , by AIANTA (American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association), nearly 92 percent had received cancellations because of the pandemic totaling over 17,000 individual reservations. Decreases in domestic booking were reported by nearly 94 percent of respondents, while 98 percent were expecting losses in revenue for the year. Of those expecting lost revenue, 60 percent said they expect to lose 50 percent of their annual revenue or more. In addition to domestic bookings, international bookings were down as well, a major source of tribal tourism spending. According to other research by AIANTA, approximately two million international travelers visit tribal lands and attractions each year, spending $8.5 billion dollars during their trips. Tourism is not the only sector to experience impacts from the pandemic and mitigation efforts. The Intertribal Agriculture Council has also surveyed tribal leaders and producers on the effects of the crisis on their businesses. Over 83 percent indicated that their production/business had been negatively affected by COVID-19. The most commonly listed impacts were loss of future sales, loss of cash flow and/or cash reserves, reductions in workforce (including seasonal labor) and supply chain disruptions. Approximately 46.4 percent anticipate losses of at least $10,000 in revenue due to the crisis, with 7.4 percent projecting losses above $100,000. Given that the average AIAN- owned farm sold only $58,252 in product in 2017, according to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, a loss of even $10,000 is substantial. Over 10 percent of respondents indicated that the crisis had already resulted in a business closure, with another 7.7 percent indicating a partial closure. Similar stories and statistics can certainly be found in other sectors in Indian country and mirror the broader experience of the U.S. economy as a whole. As long as the crisis continues, assumed to be through early summer of next year as already discussed, serious disruptions will also continue, although they may ebb and flow to some degree. Even after the pandemic is brought under control and restrictions are removed on a more permanent basis, recovery will take time and will vary in speed and magnitude by industry sector and geography.
∴ PROGNOSIS
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