The SDSU Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming supports research to improve revenue generation for tribal communities
The L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management partners with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation for this one-of-a-kind research institute
Academic research from The Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management continues to inform the tribal gaming industry's needs. Founded in 2005, the institute is a partnership between the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and SDSU and is the only program of its kind in the United States.
The institute serves to produce and fund original academic research surrounding the legal gambling industry with an emphasis on tribal gaming, which is of crucial importance to tribes across the United States.
“Our research is in direct response to the needs of tribal governments and the tribal gaming industry as a whole,” says Katherine Spilde, Endowed Chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming. “Hospitality and Tourism Management students who are interested in any aspect of hospitality and tourism, including leadership and sustainability issues, can get the total experience in the tribal gaming ecosystem.”
Spilde notes the importance of the gaming industry in supporting the livelihood of tribes explaining that revenue from the gaming industry is what funds key public services including infrastructure, law enforcement, fire protection, education, and public health services.
“It is not just a business, but the tribal community and tribal services will be directly affected,” said Spilde. “Many people do not appreciate the challenges of revenue generation for tribal nations. For example, tribal governments cannot raise governmental revenues through property taxes as counties do. They do not collect income tax from their citizens as states do. So tribal nations must rely upon the revenues from business development in order to provide the services that other governments provide.”
Currently, the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming is evaluating the impact of non-smoking constraints, and Spilde using statistical and academic analysis.
“We always strive to support tribal nations in their efforts to improve conditions across Indian Country,” says Spilde. “Therefore, we hope that bringing new research methods to tribal gaming can demonstrate that tribes are incorporating cutting-edge practices into the larger gaming industry.”
