The General Accounting Office reported that 184 tribes were operating 281 gaming facilities as of December 31, 1996. The report examined financial statements from 178 facilities owned by 126 tribes. Just eight of the 178 facilities accounted for 40 percent of the total revenues. This new cash flow and buying power can be leveraged into material changes not only for Indian individuals and communities, but for the surrounding non-Indian communities as tribal members become more active in the regional economy. Tribal governments are challenged to create the tangible and intangible infrastructures that underlie sustainable economic development.
Tangible infrastructure comprises roads, water and power systems and schools.
Intangible infrastructure consists of uniform commercial codes, court systems and commitments to consistent policy between successive administrations. This infrastructure is necessary to preserve economic gains over time. There is enormous untapped, but measurable, potential for entrepreneurship in Native American communities. Perhaps the single most exciting development in Indian Country is the creation of wealth among tribal members through owning and operating private enterprises. In some areas of the country, Native American private enterprise is approaching critical mass, that is, able to sustain a chain reaction of growth.