Tribal Gaming Sees Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth

The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has reported growth in the gaming sector in all eight regions of the United States. The commission works to support and advance tribal economic development, self-sufficiency, and effective tribal governments through the operation of gaming activities on Indian lands, including partnerships with top sportsbooks.

The Full-Year 2023 fiscal report includes data from 29 states, 245 tribes, and 527 tribal-owned, licensed, and operated legal gambling establishments in the United States. Two years ago, these establishments set a revenue record, which was surpassed again last year.

Last week, NIGC acting chairwoman Sharon M. Avery praised the solid fiscal results of 2023 in a statement. She highlighted how the diversity of tribal gaming enterprises, coupled with a strong regulatory framework, led to growth in the industry. Avery commended tribal gaming operators and regulators for their ingenuity and perseverance, which have proven to be catalysts for growth despite the evolving gaming landscape. She emphasized that the steadfastness of tribal gaming will continue to be a valuable resource for economic sustainability in tribal communities.

The numbers

The NIGC reported that gross gaming revenues reached an impressive $41.9 billion in the fiscal year 2023, marking a 2.4% year-over-year revenue growth for tribal operators in the United States. This represents a significant improvement of over $1 billion compared to 2022.

Despite facing rising costs and challenges such as licensing fees, regulatory changes, and expansion and renovation expenses, Tribal operators in the American market still managed to achieve growth in revenue.

Sacramento region tops list

All eight regions under the NIGC umbrella experienced an increase in revenue for the year, with six regions showing a year-over-year revenue gain ranging from 1.4% to 2.8%.

The Sacramento region, encompassing California and parts of Nevada, stood out as the top-performing region in the United States. It produced nearly $12 billion in revenue from 87 operators, representing a 1.8% growth compared to the previous year.

The D.C. region boasts 44 Tribal-owned operators and is the second most successful in the United States, generating $9.1 billion in gross revenue. This represents a 2.4% year-over-year increase for the area. The region encompasses a wide range of states, including New York, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and DC, all of which offer sports betting.

In the Fiscal Year 2023, the St. Paul region secured the third spot on the podium, generating nearly $5.1 billion in gross revenue, a slight improvement from the $4.9 billion earned in 2022. The Portland region, which includes Oregon sports betting, Washington sports betting, Idaho, and Alaska, came in fourth with $4.5 billion in gross revenue for the year.

The Phoenix region, including Arizona sports betting, Colorado sports betting, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, experienced the largest percentage growth with $3.9 billion in revenue for 2023, marking a 5.5% year-over-year increase.

Numbers consistently heading upward

Over the past ten years, tribal gaming in the American market has experienced significant increases in revenue, closely following the legalization and rapid expansion of legal mobile gambling throughout the country.

The NIGC reported $28.5 billion in annual revenues in 2014, which grew to $41.9 billion a decade later. Subsequently, wagering activity and revenue have continued to rise every year.

There is no indication that the trend is slowing down, as new markets and opportunities for Tribal operators continue to emerge regularly.