About 30 percent of Indian tribes in the United States engage in business associated with gaming. Some tribes have had great financial success with gaming, while the majority has seen limited return.

Where Indian gaming is successful, it has paid millions of dollars in payroll taxes and other direct benefits to state and local governments and created thousands of jobs for Indians and non-Indians.

Even with gaming, most Indian reservations continue to have high poverty and unemployment rates.

Each tribe with enough profit after payroll, debt, and operational expenses may choose to distribute a portion of these funds to tribal members. For adults, this means a new stream of income that may come weekly, monthly, or on a predetermined schedule. For youth (usually under 18), these disbursements may be directed to a trust fund created by the tribe and/or the family, which cannot be drawn on by family members or the intended recipient until he or she reaches the determined age. Some tribes and members of the Native Financial Education Coalition are working to facilitate specialized financial education programs dealing with per capita, trusts, and investments. This is a growing area of discussion, and your students should be made aware of the tribe’s policy concerning these disbursements. They should also begin to factor in the income as part of their regular budget and savings plan. As was alluded to in other sections, going out to buy a new car (that might be a second or third car) may not be the wisest financial decision compared to creating a home purchase or education fund through a variety of savings instruments.