These services and programs are being provided at no cost to state or local governments, and in many cases at no cost to federal taxpayers. Thus, the state, its subdivisions and its people are substantial net beneficiaries of tribal gaming. Better economic development alernatives to gaming are available to tribes. Before tribal gaming, there had been little successful public or private sector economic development on reservations. The states have not proposed and can not afford any specific or credible alternatives to Indian gaming as a meaningful source of tribal revenues and jobs.
All Indian tribes are now rich.
Publicity concerning Indian gaming has often focused on the few operations that have seen spectacular success. Most tribal gaming is much more moderate. Given the enormous backlog of need on reservations, it will take several decades of sustained revenue flow to create the opportunity for economic parity. It is important to remember that Indian entitlement to federal support, both economic and political, is based upon the moral and legal obligations of the United States to Indian people, resulting, in part, the vast amounts of Indian land transferred to the United States. In any event, many Indian tribes may never participate in Indian gaming because of location and other issues, and to date Indian people remain the poorest of the poor in this land.