Shakopee mdewakanton sioux community

Indian tribes have the right to conduct gaming activities because they are sovereign nations, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

Adding slot machines to private businesses would have a negative economic impact on all MN tribal government gaming facilities.

Gambling expansion would lead tribes to lose revenues, cut back operations, and lay off workers.

Indian gaming has helped tribes heal from 200 years of genocide and poverty.

Tribal gaming provides resources to tribal governments to combat huge unmet needs for healthcare and housing in Indian country.

High rates of diabetes, alcoholism, & suicide rates, as well as inadequate housing and educational opportunities plague tribal governments.

Indian tribes retained the right to govern themselves as sovereign nations.

Tribal gaming accounts for more than 20,000 direct jobs and another 21,150 indirect jobs in Minnesota.

If gambling expands in Minnesota, the 41,651 people employed by it would be at risk of losing their jobs, benefits, and healthcare.

Tribal gaming pays wage; buys goods, business and health care services; and makes capital investments.

More than 30,000 Indian gaming jobs (73%) are in rural Minnesota.

Rural casinos account for more than $880 million annually in wages, $130 million in health care benefits, & $268 million in vendor spending.

A racino at Running Aces Harness Track in Anoka County could take as much as 40% of casino business away from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Gambling revenue won’t fill Minnesota’s multi-billion dollar deficit hole. It won’t even come close.

Tribal governments and casinos are responsible for $1.35 billion in household income, or 1.1% of all wages paid statewide.

Tribal payrolls totals $576 million annually, and indirect activity generates an additional $774 million in wages.

Each year MIGA tribes pay about $150 million in federal & state withholding taxes, including about $18 million in state income taxes.

$329 million was invested in 2007 by tribes in capital projects and $138 million in rural MN.

Tribes build roads, water, waste treatment, community centers, retirement facilities, law enforcement facilities, museums, and libraries.

Expanding gambling would slash the Minnesota tribes’ revenues which are needed to combat poverty, unemployment, drug abuse, and other crimes.

Rather than create new jobs, racinos would relocate thousands of jobs in rural communities to the metro area.

Good jobs with benefits are badly needed in rural Minnesota.

Neither racinos nor any expansion of gambling can force an already saturated gambling market to grow.

Any state leader who envision money blowing through the Capitol's doors needs a reality check.

Indian gaming is a proven tool in meeting the need for jobs and economic development without any state financial assistance.

MN tribal gaming spending: 28% health care, 22% government operations, 20% education, 13% housing/economic development, 17% human services/infrastructure.

Tribal casinos spent $298 million statewide on goods and services while tribal governments spent another $241 million within Minnesota.

More than 10,000 businesses in Minnesota benefit from tribal spending.

78% of MN Indian Gaming enterprise employees are non-Native American, with a direct annual payroll of $249.5 million.

Minnesota Indian gaming enterprises pay $81 million in total payroll taxes.

Gaming related construction in Minnesota totals $561 million so far.

Minnesota is just one of fourteen states that does not have a revenue sharing provision in their gaming compact.

Indian tribes are governments; governments (Minnesota) can’t tax other governments (federally recognized Indian tribes).

Tribes spend $67 million annually on medical and dental insurance for gaming employees and their families.

Tribes spend $23 million annually providing medical and dental insurance for non-gaming tribal government employees.

Indian gaming is the only significant government revenue source for tribes.

A significant drop in gaming revenues would make it impossible for tribes to sustain the progress they've made.

Tribal leaders estimate they need to spend $500 million from gaming revenues over the next 5 years to address unmet tribal needs.

Minnesota tribes were the first in the nation to negotiate and sign gaming compacts with a state government.

Minnesota did not want full-blown Las Vegas-style casinos so the tribes agreed to limit their casinos to slots and blackjack.

Minnesota's tribal-state compacts may not be "re-opened" or renegotiated unless both sides agree to do so.

Gaming compacts assured the state that tribal gaming would never include games like keno, craps, roulette and baccarat.

Perpetual gaming compacts meant tribes would never be held hostage to changing political winds.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act prohibits states from taxing tribal casino revenues.

Tribal casinos are tax-exempt because they are government operations, not private, for-profit businesses.

Congress did not intend tribal gaming to be a revenue source for states

Minnesota's gaming market is saturated. This means that overall, the people interested in gaming are already doing so.

Unmet tribal needs for Indian housing statewide are estimated at more than $114 million.

Unmet tribal needs for debt retirement statewide are estimated at more than $150 million.

Unmet tribal needs for government operations statewide are estimated at more than $72 million.

Unmet tribal needs for healthcare statewide are estimated at more than $67 million.

Unmet tribal needs for infrastructure statewide are estimated at more than $32 million.

Indian gaming has helped rural areas by creating new jobs, reducing welfare costs, raising property values and tax revenues, creating new business growth, and increasing tourism.

A racino will cut into revenues here, which in turn will mean that the SMSC will need to cut costs and likely jobs.

As the largest employer in Scott County, the SMSC employ 4,084 people with good benefits and good pay.

SMSC’s 4,084 jobs are fueled by Indian Gaming. If gambling were to expand in Minnesota, those jobs would be at risk.

574 Automated External Defibrillators have been given away by the SMSC since 2004 to schools, first responders, and organizations.

SMSC has donated $162 million over the past 12 years to charitable organizations and Indian Tribes.

The SMSC has made more than 77 agreements with local governments since 1969.

More than $30 million in grants largely to other Indian tribes yearly would be at risk if gambling were to expand.

The SMSC paid more than $15.2 million to vendors in Scott County in fiscal year 2009.

The SMSC made total vendor payments of more than $232.5 million in fiscal year 2009.

Over the last 14 years the SMSC has made total inter-governmental payments of $29.5 million to Scott County and other jurisdictions.

In 2009 the SMSC made$1,513,346 in intergovernmental payments.

The SMSC makes annual contributions of $280,000 per year to Scott County for roads, administration, and law enforcement.

The SMSC has paid more than $6.6 million for shared road construction projects since 1996 and millions more on Community roads.

The SMSC makes a contribution of $360,000 each year to the City of Prior Lake for police and other services each year.

Mdewakanton Emergency Services provides mutual aid to local fire departments.

Each month Mdewakanton Emergency Services responds to an average of 140 calls with 60 medical transports.

Millions of dollars are pumped into the area’s economy each year as a result of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s successful business enterprises.

As the largest employer in the county, the SMSC employs more than 4,143, including 1,726 Scott County residents.

The SMSC payroll annually is over $143.7 million.

Federal taxes paid by employees of the SMSC are more than $14.2 million, State taxes more than $6.1 million, FICA more than $10.8 million.