The Washington tribal Ilani casino jeopardizes the positions of Oregon gambling industry as the leader on the market, which is estimated to hit on the state revenue taxes of Oregon.
After the opening of the tribal Ilani casino, hundreds of people could not resist but try the new casino. The parking space of the casino offered not even a single free spot, which indicated that it caused great boom among the gaming society. Despite this fact, it is estimated that the Oregon gaming industry does not mark a significant decline by the presence of the tribal casino, even the opposite – it still leads the parade.
The figures are even more surprising, because these show even 4% increase in the amount of revenues from the Oregon State Lottery. In fact, the Oregon lottery providers, which can be threatened by the opening of the tribal casino are those on Hayden Island. There is a good explanation for that and namely because the lottery retailers on Hayden Island usually attracts people from Washington thanks to its diverse casino-style slot games.
Jeff Geisler, Chairman of the Neighborhood Association, the Hayden Island Neighborhood Network (HI-NooN), stated that there is still no feasible decrease in the income. Many people from Washington are still to be seen attending the local lottery retailers at the island.
Of course, a certain descending in terms of the gaming tax revenues is forecast to affect the Oregon State Lottery. Economists have estimated that for the coming 2 years, a 12% decline will be witnessed. Even more tragic will be the situation for the Confederated Tribes of the grand Ronde, which runs the Spirit Mountain Casino. The problem is that the casino will lose its position on the market as the closest to Portland.
According to Justin Martin, Lobbyist for the Tribe and a Tribal Member, the losses will not be that significant as the gaming sector in Oregon predicts. He added that the Spirit Mountain Casino already took actions to revive its image and still be as powerful as before. Rumours are spreading that the Ilani casino does not offer qualitative service, but the prices are higher. The traffic jams are the other negative factor, which may have a negative impact on the image of the newly-opened casino.
Despite the bad forecast of huge losses, Oregon gaming industry still remains positive and hopes that the decrease in the amount of the gaming revenue taxes will not be that catastrophic. What is more is that Ilani casino is still a novice on the market, and the Oregon gaming industry relies on its possible mistakes.
