New statewide tribal contribution numbers for the quarter ending June 30, 2016 are in. Tribal contributions to the State from Class III gaming revenue will be approximately $25 million for the quarter.
Class III revenue is about 2.9% less this quarter, when compared to the same quarter in 2015.
In Arizona, Class III gaming includes slot machines, jackpot poker, blackjack, keno and off-track pari-mutuel betting. There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state. Tribes send contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund every three months.
“While we have seen a small change in gaming revenue, the numbers still showcase how well the gaming industry is doing around Arizona and the high consumer confidence people have while living and playing in our state,” said Daniel Bergin, Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming.
For the first time since Arizona embraced Tribal Gaming, a casino is operating in the Valley that does not share revenue with the State. This facility is not regulated by the Department making it impossible to know what effect it is having on statewide gaming numbers. Despite the small drop in this quarter’s contributions, regulated casinos will still provide millions in additional funding to areas such as education and emergency services.
The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distributed as follows:
| Instructional Improvement Fund/Education | $12,463,013 |
| Trauma and Emergency Services Fund | $6,231,506 |
| Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs | $2,250,544 |
| Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund | $1,780,430 |
| State Tourism Fund | $1,780,430 |
| Problem Gambling Education, Treatment and Prevention | $500,121 |
TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended June 30, 2016: $25,006,044
The Arizona Department of Gaming, in partnership with Arizona’s tribes, regulates Indian gaming. Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, tribes with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming revenue to the state, cities, towns and counties.