Wisconsin’s Native American tribes’ revenue from casino gaming has gone up 47 percent since 1997, according to a report released Wednesday by the Legislative Audit Bureau.
Eleven tribes operate 24 casinos in the state.
The casinos’ net revenue, which is the amount wagered by casino patrons minus the money paid out by the casino in winnings, grew from $660.2 million to $970.9 million.
As a whole, tribal casinos saw their profits increase 58.6 percent to $158.2 million.
In exchange for the right to operate casinos, the tribes collectively pay the state $24 million over each two-year budget cycle.
These funds are used for economic development initiatives designed to benefit Wisconsin’s tourism and Native American population.
The Legislative Audit Bureau report found at least three other states that receive a larger percentage of tribal gaming than Wisconsin.
State representative and co-chairman of the Legislative Joint Audit Committee Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan, said in a statement that the amount of tribal-gaming revenue required to pay to the state varies from state to state.
“The state needs to seek a greater share of the gaming profits,” Leibham said. “Both as compensation for oversight and regulatory costs and for broader proposes. Wisconsin should seek a more equitable share of the gaming profits. This must be addressed when the compacts are renegotiated in 2003.”
The Department of Administration’s Division of Gaming is in charge of monitoring and regulating tribal gaming through its office of Indian gaming.
The division runs on funds paid by the tribes, which totaled $28.6 million in the fiscal year 2001-2002, and spent $1.5 million to monitor gaming inside casinos.
Each year the tribes pay $350,000 to offset this cost.
“The costs to monitor gaming activities at tribal casinos should be covered by gaming revenues,” Leibham said.
The Legislative Audit Bureau’s report criticized the division of gaming for never conducting inventory reviews at six casinos that together make up 42.4 percent of all Indian gaming operations.
Attempts to contact casinos Thursday were unsuccessful.