American Indian political incorporation in the post-Indian Gaming Regulatory Act era

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), passed by the US Congress in 1988, was a watershed in the history of policymaking directed toward reservation-resident American Indians. IGRA set the stage for tribal government-owned gaming facilities. It also shaped how this new industry would develop and how tribal governments would invest gaming revenues. Since then, Indian gaming has approached commercial, state-licensed gaming in total revenues. Gaming operations have had a far-reaching and transformative effect on American Indian reservations and their economies. Specifically, Indian gaming has allowed marked improvements in several important dimensions of reservation life. For the first time, some tribal governments have moved to fiscal independence. Native nations have invested gaming revenues in their economies and societies, often with dramatic effect.

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Gaming Opportunities: American Indian Casinos, Cash Transfers, and Income Mobility on the Reservation

AEA Papers and Proceedings ◽

10.1257/pandp.20211014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 111 ◽

pp. 221-226

Author(s):

Emilia Simeonova ◽

Randall Akee ◽

Maggie R. Jones

Keyword(s):

American Indian ◽

Family Income ◽

Relative Income ◽

Cash Transfers ◽

Indian Gaming ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual ◽

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

We examine the impact of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act on the income rank of American Indian (AI) reservation residents. We assemble a panel dataset at the individual level for tax filers residing on AI reservations in 1989. We examine the effect of casino operations and cash distribution payments (from casino revenues) on the income-rank evolution over time. Casino operations provide an unambiguous increase in family income rank for those residing on reservations with an operating casino relative to those on reservations without a casino. The presence of an operating casino increases relative income rank by half a percentage point.

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A Raw Deal: Conflicts Over Tribal Sovereignty and Casino Proliferation

Elements ◽

10.6017/eurj.v5i1.8905 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tim Mooney

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

American Indian ◽

The United States ◽

Tribal Sovereignty ◽

Indian Gaming ◽

The Federalist ◽

Bargaining Position ◽

Indian Tribes ◽

To Come ◽

National Governments

Federalism has played an important role in the explosion of legalized gambling in the United States in the last two decades. Indian gaming, in particular, has challenged state and national governments to come to terms with the place of American Indian tribes within the federalist system and organize a meaningful framework for the expansion of gaming on tribal lands. Now largely controlled by a federal statutory framework, Indian gaming has left states in a subordinate position in negotiating the establisment of major casino enterprises within their own borders. Confusion in states' rights during negotiations has further weakened their bargaining position, leading to extensive tribal casino development. The cooperation between states and tribes and states and casino corporations have facilitated casino proliferation throughout the United States, a trend that appears destined to contiue until the market is fully saturated.

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Gambling on Decentralization: How Sub-National Regulatory Interests Condition the Impact of Federal Policy

State and Local Government Review ◽

10.1177/0160323x211057917 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0160323X2110579

Author(s):

Thaddieus W. Conner ◽

Aimee L. Franklin ◽

Christian Martinez

Keyword(s):

Intergovernmental Relations ◽

Revenue Sharing ◽

Indian Gaming ◽

Policy Goals ◽

State And Local Government ◽

Per Capita ◽

State And Local ◽

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ◽

The Impact ◽

Tribal Gaming

Intergovernmental relations scholars note a decentralizing trend transferring authority from national to state and local government in the American federalist system. Theory suggests that a misalignment of the interests of national and regional actors may lead to variation in sub-national regulatory environments. We investigate how different sub-national regulatory environments condition the impact of Tribal gaming. Using tribal-state gaming compacts and amendments from 1990–2010, we examine how restrictions in sub-national regulatory agreements condition intended impacts of the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. We find that revenue sharing and market restrictions differentially influence the impact of gaming on tribal per capita income but not levels of unemployment. Through the case of Tribal gaming, we determine how sub-national agreements condition the relative accomplishment of policy goals important to Native nations.

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