For the first time since 2003, tribes in Arizona have reported a decline in their gaming revenues.

The tribal-state compact requires the tribes to share a percentage of their revenues with the state. Since 2003, the amount has risen steadily due to expansion of the tribal casino industry.

But for the quarter that ended March 31, revenues dropped 1 percent from last year, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming. Tribes shared $24.4 million for the first three months of 2008.

"It doesn't surprise me that there's a little downturn, but it's not a bad showing for an industry that relies on nothing but disposable income," Sheila Morago, the executive director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, told The Arizona Daily Star.

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AZ tribal casinos are 'holding steady' (The Arizona Daily Star 5/1)