Tribal gaming revenues in Washington grew 70 percent in 5 years

Posted 1/5/11 By Lenny S : TRIBAL STATS DWARF WASHINGTON GAMBLING NUMBERS
 
Tribal gaming revenues in Washington grew 70 percent in 5 years
 
The state of Washington may have the toughest laws against online gambling but when it comes to other forms of gambling – and especially tribal operations – it appears that the sky's the limit.
 
The Seattle Intelligencer studied five year statistics from the Washington State Gambling Commission this week, concluding that tribal gambling revenues in the state grew by 70 percent over the period and now dwarfs all other forms of gambling.
 
In 2005, tribal revenues amounted to $1.02 billion, but by 2009 had soared to $1.74 billion. Over the same period, non-tribal gaming revenues, including state lottery betting, fell from $672 million to $574 million.
 
The Intelligencer notes that faced with the prospect of further deep cuts to schools and health care, there's an increasing debate about whether Washington should allow more gambling in places like bars and other areas to bring in more tax revenue.