www.house.leg.state.mn.us

3,000 Slot Machines 128 Blackjack Tables 10 Poker Tables 500 Hotel Rooms 5 Eating Establishments (2-Deli, Coffee Shop, Gourmet Restaurant & Buffet) Lounge with live entertainment 8 Meeting Rooms Gift Shop

1,976 Jobs $ 46,510,200 New payroll Dollars $ 1,200,309 Dollars for Unemployment Insurance $ 7,100,000 Dollars spent on Employee Benefits $ 3,720,800 Dollars for the State in Payroll Taxes $10,232,200 Dollars for the Federal Gov’t in Payroll Taxes

Urban Casino faces tough opposition The proposed Urban Entertainment & Gaming Complex will not become a reality unless the legislative bill can pass the Minnesota State Senate and House and be signed off by Gov. Pawlenty.  At this time, many of our legislators, including the governor, oppose the State getting involved with gambling. In addition to the legislative opposition, others are working hard to present their own gaming proposals or protect their own interests.  Other bills are being presented to legislators to consider expanding gaming, most notably is the expansion of Canterbury Park from a racing track to a Racino.  Canterbury is privately owned by an individual from out-of-state. White Earth and Red Lake need your support and the support of our urban residents to see the Urban Casino become a reality.  We believe in keeping the revenues within the State, but equalizing the playing field for all our tribes.  Our locations in northern Minnesota prevent us from the gainful revenues enjoyed by gaming tribes located in the metropolitan area, who oppose the proposal and have the funds to fight against us.  Their public relations campaigns are already seen in the newspapers and on TV.  We are encouraging everyone to contact their legislators - make our voices heard above the dollars being spent against us.  Send letters, make phone calls, have your friends and relatives do the same.  If you are not sure who your state legislators are, call Mary at (218) 983-3285 Ext. 1254 and she will help. The truth of the matter is the State of Minnesota is already involved with gambling.  The State Department of Public Safety, Gambling Enforcement Division, is a regulatory authority over all the Casino's in Minnesota.  We say it's time to level the playing field and allow the rural, highly populated tribes a chance at gainful revenue that will not only support our people, but help the State as a whole as we tackle our financial hardships together.

Minnesota Indian Gaming Vital Statistics   A FY 200 analysis by Marquette Advisors, Inc. confirmed the significant economic impact of Indian gaming in Minnesota.  Here are the highlights: DIRECT EMPLOYMENT (TOTAL)  13,339                       Full-time with full benefits                        11,280 (85%) Part-time with limited benefits                  2,059 (15%) Percentage  Native Employees                                22% Percentage Non-Native Employees                        78%     DIRECT PAYROLL & BENEFITS                   $278,168,000 Total direct annual payroll                                        $249,506,000 Benefits and pension funds                                           $28,662,000     PAYROLL TAXES PAID (TOTAL)                  $81,051,000 FICA-Employers Share                                                 $20,139,000 FICA-Employee Paid                                                     $20,139,000 Federal Withholding                                                      $27,871,000 State Withholding                                                           $10,222,000 Unemployment Comp                                                   $2,680,000     PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES                    $15,901,000     GAMING-RELATED CONSTRUCTION     $561,112,000 Construction to date of study                                 $402,717,000 Construction completed in 2000                             $70,895,000 Construction completed in FY 2001                       $87,500,000     PURCHASES FROM MN VENDORS            $186,633,000     IMPACT ON TOURISM IN MN                     $191,222,000 Visitor Promos/Marketing Expend.                       $29,860,000 Out-of-State and Canadian Visitors                              3,691,000 Expenditures by Out-of-State Visitors                $191,222,000

What has Indian gaming done for Minnesota? Tribal Gaming and Tourism Tribal casinos have proven to be a major tourist attraction in Minnesota, second only to the Mall of America.  In 2000, Minnesota’s tribal casinos attracted more than 20.7 million patrons, about 17% (almost 3.7 million) from outside the state.  Those visitors spent an estimated $191.2 million on lodging, food, gas and other purchases on and off the reservation. Tribal Gaming and Government Assistance Tribal gaming has eased the burden on state and county public assistance programs by providing gainful employment for rural communities.   AFDC payments have decreased 17.8% in casino counties, according to state records.   And the number of Native Americans receiving general assistance has decreased by more than 58%, remarkable testimony to the impact of tribal gaming in moving Minnesota Indians toward economic self-sufficiency.  Nearly 6% of casino employees were receiving some form of general assistance  prior to casino employment. An estimated 11.5% of persons employed at tribal casinos were receiving unemployment assistance prior to employment at a casino.  Nearly 22% had been out of work at least three months, and over 15% had been out of work more than six months prior to casino employment. Building and Rebuilding Infrastructure In an effort to ensure that gaming revenues would produce substantive benefits for Indian tribes, Congress wrote into the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act specific restrictions on the use of Indian gaming revenues.  Authorized uses include infrastructure improvements; education; health care; social services; economic development and diversification.  Tribal gaming revenues are allocated for these purposes by the duly elected government officials of each tribe, just as state legislators and members of Congress establish budgets for their respective governmental units. Tribal gaming has enabled Minnesota’s Indian tribes to begin rebuilding their reservations after centuries of poverty and neglect.  Addressing Unmet Human Needs There is a common misperception that most Minnesota Indians have become personally wealthy as a result of tribal gaming.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The vast majority of tribes are still striving to rebuild their reservations and conquer the human problems caused by generations of abject poverty, isolation and hopelessness.  Indian leaders in Minnesota have identified several areas in which vast unmet needs still require attention.  These are their top priorities for the future, ranked  in order of anticipated cost: With such extensive unmet needs, reservation communities have a long way to go before Minnesota’s American Indian communities enjoy the same excellent quality of life most state residents take for granted.  Urban Indian Programs Every tribe in Minnesota provides financial support for numerous programs designed to assist Indian people living off-reservation in communities around the state.   Many people are unaware, however, that most of these programs serve all Indian people living in Minnesota, not just those from Minnesota reservations. The services provided include health care, chemical dependency treatment and counseling, job training and work placement, and emergency assistance for a variety of purposes.  For instance, one important program provides emergency funding to help Indian families cover funeral and transportation expenses when a deceased relative living off the reservation must be returned to tribal lands for burial.  Collectively, Minnesota tribes contribute approximately $1.5 million per year to support these off-reservation programs.