"The governor's list of potential new revenue generators includes gaming sources, but their impact is characterized as "indeterminate." There is nothing indeterminate about the fact that the recreational gaming market in our state continues to grow despite the economic climate.

Year over year, total net receipts for all gaming activities have grown from $2.29 billion in fiscal year 2010 to more than $2.5 billion in 2011. Nearly all of that growth, however, is attributable to tribal casino operations, which have grown to an estimated $1.95 billion from $1.75 billion last year, according to the Washington State Gambling Commission.

Nontribal house-banked cardrooms, which pay gambling taxes that help sustain local budgets in addition to state business-and-occupation taxes, have declined steadily since the advent of electronic gaming. This decline is due to a number of competitive advantages the tribal operations enjoy, the most important of which is their monopoly on electronic gaming machines. Tribes do not pay any state or local taxes on their gaming receipts."

Get the Story:
Chris Kealy: Open up electronic gambling beyond tribal casinos to generate more state revenue (The Seattle Times 12/7)

Related Stories:
Republicans in Washington aiming for more non-Indian gaming (12/6)
Editorial: Washington tribes should share their casino revenues (12/5)
Ron Allen: Tribal gaming revenues go to government programs (12/2)