It’s hard to believe the National Indian Gaming Association’s Indian Gaming Trade Show and Convention is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
What’s not hard to believe is just how successful and valuable an event this show has become. After all, NIGA’s economic impact report on the industry shows that Indian gaming continues to grow stronger than ever, so it’s no wonder that the tribal gaming industry’s largest and most significant show would mirror that success by being bigger and better than ever this year.
Gross gaming revenue in 2013 rose to $28.6 billion, a 2.5 percent increase from the $27.9 billion reported in 2012, according to NIGA’s 2013 Economic Impact Report. In addition, that report showed Indian gaming delivered an additional $3.5 billion in ancillary revenues for a total of 32.1 billion in revenue for 2013.
Indian gaming is thriving, creating jobs and opportunities for tribal members and non-tribal members alike. According to NIGA, employment at tribal casinos accounted for more than 307,000 direct jobs nationwide and 358,000 in indirect jobs, totaling more than 665,000 jobs.
And Indian country is innovating—many of the casinos in Indian country are leading the way, becoming first movers on technological advancement in gaming as well as adopting enhanced customer service practices, new green energy initiatives and more. You can bet leaders from these tribal-owned facilities will be roaming the show floor to seek out the best new products and services, and taking part in conference and networking events. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss an opportunity to take in a session featuring these operators or to just chat with them about what they do and why. It’ll be time well spent.
As another testament to the show’s importance, Indian Gaming 2015 also will be the venue where CEM announces the winners of its annual Slot Floor Technology Awards. Stay tuned for more on that front.
Inside the pages of this month’s issue, you’ll find much more information about NIGA’s expanded and enhanced show, a feature on NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. and more, including a feature on architectural design trends for tribal casinos.
New in CEM
Be sure to check out CEM’s newest features inside this month’s issue. They are just part of our ongoing initiative to make Casino Enterprise Management better than ever, by delivering even more useful information to help you do your jobs better.
Debuting this month is CEM’s Inner Circle, a feature in which gaming industry executives and observers sound off on issues affecting our industry. In the initial installment, we tackle the topic of the tightening slot hold percentages, and we’re sure you’ll want to know what your peers are saying on that subject. Also making its first appearance this month is a new feature called On the Job, in which the magazine interviews a gaming industry employee about his or her work.
Let us know what you think or share your suggestions for what else you would like to see in the magazine, on our website or as part of our CEM Audio Edge programming.
And if you’re attending Indian Gaming 2015, make it a point to stop by our booth (No. 1803) and say “Hi.” We look forward to seeing you there.
Peter Mead
Publisher
Casino Enterprise Management