- (480) 284-4034
- info@azindiangaming.org
AIGA Resources
In ten years Tribes have funded hundreds of millions of dollars to support education, trauma and emergency care, wildlife conservation and economic development through tourism. Gaming revenues have been shared with cities, towns and counties statewide and supported hundreds of non-profits and charitable organizations. In addition, the state has benefited from jobs created by this new growth industry. Because tribal lands range from remote reaches of the state to busy, urban areas, the economic impact of this industry is felt statewide. Like copper, cotton, cattle and climate, Indian casinos are an important “C” for Arizona.
Whether it was the foods Pima farmers sold to the Army or the rugs Navajo weavers sold to early territorial tourists, the tribes of Arizona have been a part of the fabric of Arizona’s economy since before the state’s founding. Over the past quarter-century that participation has burgeoned. With the Supreme Court’s 1987 decision in California v. Cabazon and the subsequent passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, tribal gaming joined logging, mining, skiing, and tourism as mainstays of reservation economies. The consequences for Arizona tribes and Arizonans more generally have been substantial and beneficial.
By all statistical measures, American Indians are among the poorest people in the country. Despite the historic trust status with the U.S. government, tribal governments struggle to provide health, education, housing and related programs for their people. There are 2 million American Indians living in America today and 557 federally recognized tribes. Arizona has 22 federally recognized American Indian tribes. 38 percent of Indians, 6 to 11 years old, live below the poverty level, more than twice the number of the average U.S. citizen.
In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed Indian tribes’ inherent rights to operate gaming on Indian land. In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) affirming Tribal sovereignty and establishing the statutory framework for Indian gaming.
December 19, 2024
December 19, 2024
In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed Indian tribes’ inherent rights to operate gaming on Indian land. In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) affirming Tribal sovereignty and establishing the statutory framework for Indian gaming.
Arizona Indian Gaming Association represents nine tribes representing Indian People living on reservations in Arizona. While four tribes are located near urban areas, most tribal lands are located in rural areas of Arizona.
