In the 27 years since the US Congress allowed Native Americans to establish tribal government-owned gambling facilities, these operations have had a far-reaching, transformative effect on reservations, says a team led by Randall K.Q. Akee of the UCLA. Real per capita income earned by Indians living on reservations in the contiguous 48 states grew by 33.3pc in the 1990s and 11.5pc in the 2000s, compared with the national average of 11.4pc and minus 3.3pc respectively. Moreover, casino operations are correlated with decreases in smoking by 9pc, in heavy drinking by 5pc and in obesity by 2.7pc.

(Source: Journal of Economic Perspectives)

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, August 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play