Statewide, Tribal Gaming operations employed nearly 15,000 Arizonans, a majority of whom are non-Indians. This employment ranks above McDonald’s and below Wells Fargo’s Arizona employment.

Tribal Gaming revenues fund Tribal programs and investments in non-gaming economic diversification, both of which employ additional Arizonans—many thousands more.

Tribal Gaming also does not rely on tax abatements for its success. To the contrary, Tribes reimburse Arizona for regulatory costs, contribute to Arizona problem gambling reduction, and make contributions to local governments to mitigate gaming impacts (among other things). In addition, tribal revenue under-writes statewide instructional improvements in schools, trauma and emergency care, tourism promotion, and wildlife conservation. These contributions totaled $1.1 billion since fiscal year 2004, and amounted to $97.8 million in fiscal year 2014.

In general, reservation economies are generally incapable of supplying all their needs for input goods, services, and labor. Because of gaming, when Tribal casinos, non-gaming Tribal enterprises, and Tribal governments purchased and hired in 2014, they generated more than $2.5 billion in estimated gross state product, including $1.6 billion in labor income and $271 million in state and federal taxes other than income taxes.