Proximity, Perceived Costs and Benefits, and Public Support for Indian Gaming

Abstract

The introduction of Indian gaming has offered a new path for economic development, allowing gaming nations to achieve greater self-sufficiency. The benefits of gaming have also extended beyond the boundary of Indian nations as adjacent communities benefit from the demand created by Indian casinos. As Indian gaming expands, it is important to consider how the public perceives this form of Native American economic development. Herein, we examine public sentiment regarding Indian gaming using original survey data. Of particular interest is the effect of living near tribal gaming on the perceived costs and benefits and support for Indian gaming. To measure the effect of such exposure, we utilize a maximum likelihood estimator that allows simultaneous estimation of the effect of such exposure and the shape of the distance decay function that governs the measure of exposure itself. Our findings indicate exposure affects respondents’ perceptions of the benefits of Indian gaming for tribes, but not overall support for Indian gaming.