A California Indian tribe Monday said it would fund the first U.S. university degree in tribal gaming to bring professional discipline to a multibillion-dollar industry often “run on intuition.”
Last year, casinos run by Indian tribes generated around $21 billion in revenue, including hotels, restaurants and shows, compared with $19.6 billion for Nevada casinos, according to the National Indian Gaming Association.
The Sycuan tribe has donated $5.5 million to start the research institute and degree program focused on tribal gaming at San Diego State University.
The university’s new program is expected to start in the fall of 2006 and enroll about 20 students. It will range from technical topics like slot machine operations to the policy complexities faced by the industry.
“Indian gaming is a relatively young industry, and so far it’s been run mainly on intuition. I think it is time that we brought some rigor to the management of these facilities,” said Steven Penhall, general manager of the Sycuan Resort & Casino, located about 22 miles east of San Diego.
“The San Diego region has the highest concentration of gaming outside of Nevada,” said Carl Winston, director of the university’s hospitality and tourism management program.
“Tribal casinos aren’t run by Fortune 500 companies. They are more like family business, and managers have to be sensitive to cultural issues,” Winston said.
The new gaming institute’s research program is also expected to function as a clearinghouse for policy and legal issues faced by Indian casinos.
