The Arizona Department of Gaming announces that statewide tribal contributions increased for a sixth consecutive quarter. Tribal contributions to the State from gaming revenue will be approximately $15.2 million for the quarter ending December 31, 2015. This is a 6.9 percent increase when compared to the same quarter of last year.
“We have seen consistent growth in Tribal contributions for more than a year now, giving us further optimism for the future of State regulated gaming in Arizona,” said Daniel Bergin, Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming. “This sustained growth is a positive sign not only for our State’s economy, but most importantly for the crucial programs this funding supports.”
The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distributed as follows:
| Instructional Improvement Fund/Education | $7,585,486 |
| Trauma and Emergency Services Fund | $3,792,743 |
| Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs | $1,369,771 |
| Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund | $1,083,641 |
| State Tourism Fund | $1,083,641 |
| Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention | $304,393 |
| TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 | $15,219,675 |
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. 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.