By Tatiana Martins, journalist at G&M News.
You were recognized with the ‘Scientific Achievement Award – Educator’ for your work in developing the nation’s only four-year degree in Tribal Casino Operations Management. What inspired you to create this program, and what impact do you believe it has had on the industry and its students?
Thank you for asking about the inspiration for this program. It was created in partnership with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University in order to highlight the relationship between business (return on investment) and tribal culture (return on community). The primary goal of the program is to teach tribal casino operations management from tribal perspective, including the purpose and history of tribal gaming and the important role it plays in tribal economic development and social revitalization. The degree program is one of three important pillars of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at SDSU. The Sycuan Institute also supports academic research and policy work on the unique role that tribal governments play in the larger gaming industry with a focus on its investment of gaming revenues into regulation, cultural production and responsible gaming for all. There is a particular focus on guests (service, safety, entertainment) and team members (health, education, leadership), since tribal gaming facilities are located in tribal communities and play an outsized role in the lives of those who work and play there, or live nearby. Our research on tribal gaming impacts shows that tribal casinos uplift communities on and near reservations in countless ways and they enjoy incredible support locally and nationally as leaders in this complex gaming ecosystem. Graduates of our program understand this larger context and get great satisfaction from their careers as a result. It’s an honor to do research, policy and teach in this field.
Your research has examined the economic and social effects of tribal gaming. What do you see as the most significant findings from your work, and how have they influenced policy and practice?
The economic and social impacts of tribal gaming are unquestionably positive for tribal citizens, communities, employees, guests, and neighboring communities. We can document the positive social and economic changes over time using many data sources including the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, longitudinal studies of specific communities like those in North Carolina, in-depth ethnographies, and individual tribal or state-level impact studies. This research influences policy and practice by demonstrating several important things about tribal governments. First, that economic development in Indian Country works best when it is tribally directed and operated rather than being forced upon tribal nations by outsiders such as other governments or businesses. When tribes take the lead can do incredible things. Second, tribal governments are talented business regulators since they are protecting their own nation’s assets through investment in superior regulatory structures, policies and procedures, and expertise. Third, the investment model for tribal businesses sets it apart. Rather than pursuing business for profit, tribal nations operate casinos for social recovery purposes and to raise funds for tribal government and community priorities. This system differentiates tribal gaming from all other forms of gaming in the world. (While state lotteries do direct some funds to state priorities, they are generally a tiny fraction of the overall state budget.) My hope is that the research I have done, and continue to do, will differentiate tribal government gaming as a unique ownership, regulatory and social model of gaming that rightfully serves as a model for business development and gambling expansion globally.
Responsible gambling has been embedded in your teaching and academic programs. How do you approach preparing the next generation of leaders to balance business growth with social responsibility?
I start with the premise that responsible gaming is part of the gambling industry’s social responsibility but that we must be careful not to take the blame for causing disordered gambling. Addiction is a very misunderstood disease and I spend a lot of time teaching my gaming students the history of addiction in general, the evolving definition of gambling addiction over time (from degenerate gambling to pathological gambling to the stages of gambling introduced by Dr. Howard Shaffer and others), and the importance of understanding our industry’s role in revealing addiction rather than causing it. Investment in responsible gaming education and training, for example, are most successful when they are grounded in the latest science rather than simply something that “feels right” or “looks good.” I have worked on this issue for over 25 years and there are very few people in our industry who have taken the time to understand that addiction is a syndrome that can be expressed in multiple ways, whether through behavior or through the use of substances. Until more people in the gambling ecosystem (HR professionals, regulators, surveillance and security personnel, team members) implement programs based on our understanding of the addiction syndrome, we risk harming business growth by focusing on an individual’s latest gambling behavior rather than the complex personal history they bring to the casino when they visit. I encourage everyone I know to visit the work of the International Center for Responsible Gaming regularly since there is so much great information being published across the field.
You have emphasized the importance of amplifying Native voices in gambling research and fostering collaboration between tribal and commercial operators. Why is this dialogue so essential, and what progress have you observed over the years?
I care deeply about the gambling industry. It has changed so much over the years and is still subject to outdated stereotypes and negative publicity. Collaboration between the tribal and commercial gaming industries is crucial since we first have to understand each other before we can create powerful messages about the ways that the gambling industry provides incredible entertainment, meaningful employment, community benefits, and economic prosperity. While these outcomes may be achieved in different degrees or by distinct means by tribal and commercial business, it is important for representatives of both the tribal and commercial industry to be able to effectively communicate how the industry “works.” The progress between these two industry segments has been one of the most positive things I have observed over the past 30 years in the United States. There was a time that the two “sides” were at odds over jurisdiction, competition or even responsible gaming efforts. There was misunderstanding on both sides about how they compared, or not. Now, the American Gaming Association, the commercial casino industry’s trade group, welcomes tribal membership and highlights tribal gaming stories as examples of best practices in community development. Tribal nations utilize training, responsible gaming research and other best practices developed by the commercial gaming industry’s long history. Together, they are both stronger and can alert each other to potential issues that affect the larger industry, such as IRS changes or other federal actions.
How do you envision the role of tribal gaming evolving in the broader U.S. gambling landscape, and what areas of research or policy development do you think will be most critical in the coming years?
The role of tribal government gaming will continue to evolve and grow as tribal nations keep on innovating along with the industry itself. Tribal nations are committed to digital sovereignty and their view that “data is the new land” will drive their growth in areas such as online sports wagering and other technology-related expansion opportunities. My research aims to support tribal nations in any and all innovations related to gaming, economic development or tribal sovereignty. My primary objective remains the support of “return on community.” I follow and pursue research and policy work on the jurisdiction and regulation of e-commerce, the role of cybersecurity and consumer protection for online business and the pros and cons of pursuing sports wagering as an amenity for tribal casino operations. Underneath it all, I share the tribes’ commitment to protecting what’s theirs, strengthening their cultural resources and investing in the flourishing of tribal nations in perpetuity.