July 2012 | azgamingguide.com
Sitting in front of your favorite slot machine, you may not realize it, but even if you don’t hit a jackpot, playing at a Native owned casino means Arizona wins.
Why?
Because in 2002, when voters passed Proposition 202 which ensured that tribes could continue to have gaming compacts with the State of Arizona, Tribal leaders established the Arizona Benefits Fund which shares revenue with all Arizonans. Revenues directly support education, trauma and emergency care, wildlife conservation and economic development through tourism in this state, issues that Tribal people, like all Arizonans, care deeply about. The fund also provides revenue to fully support the Arizona Department of Gaming and various programs that help problem gamblers.
So how has this worked out?
The numbers tell the tale. The grand total from ten years of giving back to Arizona is $782,029,895.95 – and growing. Since 2002, Tribes have contributed more than $701,000,000.00 to the Arizona Benefits Fund which has meant that school districts statewide have received more than $344,000,000 to pay for teachers’ salaries, reduce class size, prevent student drop out and enhance and improve instruction in core subjects like reading and math. Sixty-four hospitals statewide have received more than $172,000,000 for emergency services and trauma care.
The math is impressive but the real impact is found in the stories.
Here are just a few…
The UMC Level 1 Trauma Center is one of eight centers in the State and is the busiest trauma center in Arizona. It serves a population of 1.5 million people. It’s also among the nation’s leaders in length of hospital stay, low treatment costs, and low mortality rates. According to Peter Rhee, M.D., medical director, UMC Trauma Program and chief, Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, UA Department of Surgery, “Without the money made available from the tribal leaders, the trauma center in Tucson would not be where it is today.”
Arizona Benefits Fund dollars are supporting Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) marketing campaigns and protecting habitats for Arizona wildlife like Desert Bighorn Sheep and Gould’s Turkey.
The Willcox Fire Department received $125,000 from the Tohono O’odham Nation to buy a Type 6 Quick Attack Truck which is used in wildland fire fighting. “We are a small community in the southeast corner of the state, and we are on a state contract to protect wildlands. We work inside the community and on state lands. I have been with the city for 17 years and, while we do get grants from FEMA, this is the largest grant we have ever received. Our trucks are 25 to 30 years of age. The City of Willcox has never before purchased a brand new piece of firefighting equipment. This is a first time for us,” said Captain Jack Weaver of the Willcox Fire Department in 2008.
Also that year, the Gila River Indian Community presented the Phoenix Children’s Museum with a 3-year grant for $500,000. The money helped complete the museum which is located in the refurbished Monroe School in downtown Phoenix.
Celebrate Ten Years of Giving To All Arizonans
These revenues have literally been true life-savers for all Arizonans.
Not only do these funds cover unfunded trauma and ER services, they are used to improve patient care and patient survival rate, support education of health care workers and provide community programs for injury prevention. Both the Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund and State Tourism Fund have received almost $50,000,000 each, a revenue stream that has been crucial for these agencies to achieve their missions, especially during the last few years when State budgets have dramatically underfunded these efforts.
In addition to these shared revenues, individually Tribes contribute an additional 12% of their net win directly to neighboring cities, towns and counties to provide revenue to police and fire departments, social service and cultural organizations and support myriad other needs. Since 2002, tribes have contributed more than $82,000,000 to support social, cultural and infrastructure needs in their neighboring communities.
Ten years of sharing tribal gaming revenues proves that Tribal gaming produces real numbers, real jobs and real benefits.
This article and the pictures below are courtesy of The Arizona Indian Gaming Association (AIGA). For more information, point your browser to www.azindiangaming.org and www.benefitingarizona.org.
Special thanks to Pam H. & Martha H. at Strateg!es (www.strategiesaz.com), Valerie S., Jason N., and Linda O. at the AIGA.
