Background At the start of 2020, Tribal government gaming was off to a good start, having realized a jump of $26.5 billion in revenue from 2010 to $32.4 billion in 2019, which represented a growth rate of 22.4% for the past 10 years. The forecast was set for another revenue breaking year until the COVID-19 Pandemic hit the shores of the United States and forced all Tribal casinos to start closing them in March. By April, the Indian gaming market had shut down to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. It would not be until May that casino properties started to reopen for business. When they did, key parts of their businesses were closed until further notice. These included: Hotel rooms, restaurants, concert venues, nightclubs and bars. While on the gaming side of the business, upwards of 50% of slot machines in a casino remained turned off to allow adequate spacing for customers to play safely from others. All table games were closed because the safety protocols for preventing the spread of coronavirus asked that people remain 6 feet apart from each other. Below are the statistics that the impact COVID-19 had on our Tribal gaming businesses throughout the nation as it re-emerged. • Slot machines – 369,912 (50% out of play) • Table games – 6,620 (75% out of play) • Poker tables – 1,443 (100% out of play) • Bingo seats – 60,869 (100% out of play) • Hotel rooms – 50,118 (75% closed) • Restaurants – 1,652 (90% closed) • Concert venues – 420 (100% closed)
To prepare for their casinos to reopen, rigorous standards were put in place that would prevent the spread of COVID-19. These standards included: Wearing face masks by both customers and employees at all times. Administrating body temperature checks on customers as they entered the property to prevent those with a fever from entering. The placement of hand sanitizer bottles throughout the property to prevent the spread of the virus. Other preventable measures included the casino instituting an extensive cleaning of all surfaces on an hourly basis. Although 2020 presented a challenging year for Tribal governments, nationwide Indian gaming continues to contribute tax revenues, purchasing power, expansion development and jobs throughout the United States where Indian casinos operate. It has become a powerful catalyst for many American Indian Nations, allowing tribes an opportunity for bringing significant economic growth and jobs into their communities, which was almost non-existent prior to the Supreme Court’s 1987 decision in the California v. Cabazon case, as well as the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
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