Last year, 22 of Washingtons 29 federally recognized tribes with total membership of 103,000 generated an estimated $1.95 billion in net receipts from casino operations, according to the Washington Gaming Commission.

It has enabled us to hire talent, to borrow, to develop infrastructure. We still have a long way to go, but gambling money has changed the whole paradigm. Were asking ourselves, How do we sustain jobs, create jobs and enhance the general economy? says Ron Allen, president of the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) and chairman of the 600-member Jamestown SKlallam Tribe headquartered in Sequim. Now, with challenges looming as Washington residents spend less enthusiastically on gambling, the tribes are working to protect their core businesses and at the same time, diversify into related enterprises such as hospitality and retailing. Money from tribal gambling operations in the past 20 years has gone to improve reservation housing, expand health care services and education programs, and provide a base for economic development. Casino revenue has been a game changer for Washingtons American Indian tribes.

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