Dominic Stern, Cronkite News
Premiered: Apr 26, 2023 4:09 PM
Phoenix — Arizona Tribal Gaming is setting records through the first quarter of 2023. This represents the largest donation ever made by the Arizona Gaming Authority.
According to the Arizona Tribal and State Gaming Agreement, tribes with casinos are required to donate a portion of their Class III gaming gross revenues to the State of Arizona, cities, towns and counties. These contributions will be sent to the Arizona Benefit Fund and ADG will split the contributions.
The ADG recently announced that the third quarter of fiscal 2023 generated $27,607,589 for the Arizona Benefit Fund. This marks a 19.9 percent increase from the same quarter in 2022, bringing disbursements closer to $2 billion since 2004.
“Tribal gambling has many benefits,” ADG spokesman Max Hartgraves said. “The $2 billion figure makes that even more apparent.”
The legalization of sports betting in Arizona has raised concerns that gamblers will turn to mobile gambling apps instead of visiting casinos. Despite the growing popularity of sportsbooks, it is clear that casinos are not losing customers.
“Arizona’s tribal gaming situation continues to be impressive, with nearly a 20% increase in state giving compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2022,” ADG Director Jackie Johnson said in a statement. ‘ said. “Since 2004, Tribal Games has contributed more than $1.98 billion to the state and its cities, towns and counties. We will break the historic milestone of $2 billion in total donations to our tribes.”
Donations go to the Arizona Benefit Fund and are distributed to a variety of charitable causes, including emergency services and wildlife conservation. Nearly half of the donation went to the Education Improvement Fund, which supports schools in Arizona.
The Education Improvement Fund funds go to the Arizona Department of Education, where they can fund anything they deem necessary. Rick Medina, ADE’s community relations manager, told Cronkite News that up to half of the Education Improvement Fund will go toward teacher salaries and reduced class sizes.
“ADE expects $54 million in guidance improvement funds from the Ministry of Gaming in FY23,” Medina said. The rest is spread across various programs, such as programs that help improve literacy and lower dropout rates.
Gambling in Arizona was once restricted to 22 tribes. Many tribes supported the decision after sports betting was legalized in the state in 2021, giving teams and commercial casinos the right to open sportsbooks and accept mobile betting. Because they too can offer sports betting and increase the selection of casino games.
While most casinos have seen an increase in foot traffic since legalization, concerns have been raised that tax revenues are far below expectations.
“Since the Amendment was passed and sports betting was legalized, it’s clear that the gaming industry in Arizona has grown,” Hartgraves said.
Hartgraves and ADG emphasized the importance of legal gambling. By doing this legally on tribal grounds, money is returned to the community and supports the tribe. Gaming legally protects consumers and provides a resource for those who may become addicted.
