VICE CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Indian Gaming and Retailers Gaming Not the Same
In this issue of Siletz News, I’d like
to address an important issue that
emerged a couple of years ago and there
are indications it may crop up again. It
involves an effort to persuade the state
to allow retailers to increase the number
of video lottery terminals (VLTs) in
their establishments. At the present
time, each retailer is allowed five
machines. They want to increase this
number and add line games.
To provide some perspective to this
issue, here are a few statistics. During
2002, 2,117 retailers in the state
operated 10,585 VLTs, grossing more
than $480 million and netting more
than $156 million. The average net
revenue for each individual retailer
was $74,019.
Some people feel that retailers
(owners of bars, taverns, clubs, and
restaurants) should be allowed addi
tional VLTsbecause they're forced to
compete with Indian casinos on an
uneven and unfair playing field.
This reasoning simply is wrong!
There’s no similarity whatsoever
between tribes that own casinos
and retailers that operate state-
sponsored VLTs and other state-owned
gambling equipment.
♦ In the first place, tribes use casino
revenues for tribal government
purposes in the same way the
Oregon state government uses its
share of lottery revenues. Both
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use gaming revenues to help
meet the educational, economic
development, and natural resources
needs of their state and tribal
governments.
In contrast, retailers - owners of
bars, taverns, clubs, and restaurants
- use profits from the VLTs in their
establishments for their own
individual, personal benefit.
Indian tribes have invested millions
of dollars in the construction,
frequent remodeling, and main
tenance of their casinos. These
architecturally attractive, first class
facilities have become the pride not
only of the tribes that own them,
but also of the surrounding non
Indian communities.
On the other hand, retailers have
been able to add lottery-sponsored
VLT machines with very little,
if any, capital expense. Generally,
these retailers simply re-arrange
the furnishings in their bars,
taverns, clubs, and restaurants to
make room for the lottery-
sponsored gambling machines.
Indian casinos have created
thousands of jobs in Oregon, not
only for tribal members, but also
for many unemployed non-Indians,
especially in economically dis
tressed areas. These casinos also
have helped stimulate the economy
of the surrounding businesses.
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CTSI/Tenas lllahee Jobs
Position: Part-time Hearings
Commissioner
Department: STGRA
Location: Lincoln City, Oregon
Salary: $35 per hour for regulatory
duties up to 40 hours per month,
Tribal Council hourly rate for
training and conferences
Opening date: 5/1/2003
Closing date: 5/16/2003
Position: Child Care Worker
Department: Tenas lllahee Child
Care Center
Location: Siletz, Oregon
Salary: $8.50 per hour
Opening date: 4/10/03
Closing date: Open Until Filled
4 □
Siletz News * □
May2003
Note: “Open Until Filled”
vacancies may close at any time.
The tribe’s Indian Preference
policy will apply. Tribal government
and the Tenas lllahee Board of
Directors will not discriminate in
selection because of race, creed, age,
sex, color, national origin, physical
handicap, marital status, politics,
membership or non-membership in an
employee organization.
CTSI Employment Job Line
541 -444-8296
1-800-922-1399, ext. 296
Visit our Web site at
http://ctsi.nsn.us
Jessie Davis
♦ On the other hand, shares of lottery
generated revenue go to retailers
who have not materially increased
jobs, improved the local economy,
nor benefited local governments.
♦ Tribes buy their machines at
more than $10,000 each, pay for
maintaining them, and purchase
new ones to replace them as
necessary.
♦ Retailers don't purchase the
gambling equipment in their
establishments. The machines are
loaned to them by the state lottery,
which maintains them at no cost to
the retailers.
♦ The tribes pay an enormous amount
for security and surveillance to
ensure that gambling within their
casinos is operated according to
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strict federal, state, and tribal
regulations.
♦ The Siletz Tribe alone pays more
than $2 million annually to three
regulatory agencies - 1) the federal
agency, the National Indian
Gaming Commission; 2) the
Oregon State Police Gaming
Section, according to the tribes
compact with the state of
Oregon; and 3) the independent
Siletz Tribal Gaming Regulatory
Agency, which includes a three-
member hearings commission.
♦ Also, casino management has a
compliance officer who ensures
that all internal controls are being
complied with. The casino also has
more than 390 surveillance cameras
scattered throughout the casino and
a well-trained surveillance staff that
monitors the cameras 24 hours a
day, reporting issues of non-
compliance to casino management
and to the regulatory agencies.
♦ hi contrast, retailers have no special
regulatory, security, or surveillance
equipment or personnel expenses.
♦ All Oregon gaming tribes, by their
own internal tribal regulations,
prohibit the use of alcohol wherever
gambling is conducted in their
casinos. Patrons of Indian casinos
in Oregon are prohibited from
drinking alcohol and gambling at
the same time. In fact, although
most Oregon tribal casinos have
special lounge areas where alcohol
is permitted, patrons are prohibited
from even taking alcoholic drinks
onto the casino floor. As anyone
knows who has visited tribal
casinos, security officers closely
monitor to make sure this strict
tribal regulation is enforced.
If we were to listen only to the
retailers, their story would be quite
slanted as to why they need more
than the tribes do without adding
more benefits to the economy or to
local communities.
Position Available at Sicangu
Policy Institute
The G1S coordinator position, under the direction of the Sicangu Policy
Institute Land and Natural Resource Program at Sinte Gleska University in
Mission. S.D., is open.
E-mail an application letter, resume, university transcripts, statement of
interest, and contact information for three references to James Rattling Leaf at
jamesrl@sinte.edu. For more information, call 605-856-4262.