| Indian country has become the center point of the American gaming dialogue. There is a growing resistance to locating tribal casinos close to otherwise non-gaming communities. The legal battles are far from finished and it still isn't clear whether local communities or states will be able to stop federally recognized tribes from operating casinos without paying any "fee" to the state. And for every community (or state) that does not want an Indian casino, there is another that sees Indian casinos as a fiscal savior. The tribes are not passive in this process, with increasing political and legal power; the tribes will take more control over their own destiny. To the gaming industry the political and legal battles are simply in the way. Just a few years ago, the major gaming operators lobbied against any expansion in Indian gaming. That has changed; not only have the manufacturers all crossed the line and now support any expansion in Indian gaming, but operators too see a brighter future in Indian gaming. The opportunity for growth and expansion is in Indian country. If, for example, there is an agreement in California between the tribes and the state, more slot machines could be sold there than in the rest of the country, unless of course more Indian casinos open in New York, or the move into Class II games by IGT and Alliance is successful. But in any case most of the action will be in Indian country. There will be more racinos and that represents opportunity for manufacturers and a limited number of operators. Regardless of the company, the domestic opportunity is most likely to be in Indian country. Indian gaming has come of age and moved from the sideshow to center stage. Bill Jones makes an adjustment to his pedicab and pedals onto the Las Vegas Strip where he is swallowed by a sea of evening traffic. Big buses dwarf him. Cars slide past him. Taxi drivers glower. Cops on bikes size him up. Tourists see a sinewy, longhaired savior, who can quickly wheel them through stopped traffic for a thank you and a tip. …have proliferated in recent months….random survey of drivers revealed at least seven companies with an armada of more than 70 pedicabs. Adam Goldman, Associated Press 11-13-03 Most cities would kill for that kind of excitement and crowded streets. Cities everywhere are struggling to find ways to create a vibrant business environment. Las Vegas is a business success; the billions of dollars invested along that one street defy the imagination. In all of that money and excitement is an environment that is singular in the world for its notoriety and appeal. Pedal cabs don't make Vegas, but they do add to the eclectic atmosphere. And yet, there are officials who want to kill the fun. …At a recent public safety meeting, state and local law enforcement officials declared the pedicab swarm illegal and a potential danger to tourists. They intend to force the velocipedes into extinction. Adam Goldman, Associated Press 11-13-03 It would be simpler and less messy if there were no pedal cabs, but it would be simpler if there were no motor cabs or cars of any kind. In fact, it would be simpler and certainly quieter if there were no people at all on the Strip. Of course, public safety and welfare is important, but it is possible to have different kinds of transportation exist together, just as it is possible for different business models to coexist in the same industry, as the Strip proves. The challenge for Vegas and regulators in general is not to prohibit as much as possible, but to find ways to allow it to develop and flourish in response to needs and desires of the customers. The Choctaw Resort Development Enterprise today announced revenues and results for its fiscal year, which ended September 30, 2003. Net revenues for the year were $298.3 million compared to $248.2 million for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2002. The $50.1 million, or 20.2%, increase in net revenues was primarily due to an increase in gaming revenues attributable to the opening of the Golden Moon on August 26, 2002. Business Wire, Hotel Online, 12-23-03 Bettors have plunked down about $4 billion in slot machines and table games at the Seneca Nation's Niagara Falls casino in the past year, a remarkable level that will provide more than $250 million…numbers were extrapolated from what Seneca officials say will be a check written to New York State….$38 million as part of its share of the casino's slot machine numbers. Tom Precious, Buffalo News, 12-22-03 The Indian gaming industry is maturing, just as the general industry has matured. The growth in revenues has slowed in many areas, but certainly not stopped. Even the numbers are staggering and attention getting. Which is not always a good thing. States look at the revenue and salivate. Governors and state legislators trying to cut themselves in for part of the take was certainly a trend in 2003. At this point, Indian gaming and the general industry are facing a common challenge, increased taxation. They are each facing increased competition also and, therefore, increased cost of operations. While Indian casinos and non-Indian casinos are often competitors the problems are common to each. And the solutions will also often be common. Maturity has a commonizing effect; it may not bring competitors together, though it sometimes does, but it certainly forces each player to study and understand all of the other major players. |
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