The $29 million the tribe expects to make from its four casinos and would derail an expansion plan.Īnd the leader of the nation's largest tribal gaming organization doesn't support such payouts either. Wallace Coffey, the chairman of the Comanche Nation, told The Oklahoman that the per capita program would eat up $11.6 million of Not everyone thinks making payments a wise idea. But newly elected leaders are considering bigger payments. The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut, the owners of one of the most profitable casinos, already has a revenue allocation program. Some members of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma are also clamoring for a share. Members of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma recently voted to approve a per capita program and receive about $900 a year from their gaming operations. According to a June 2003 report by the Interior Department's Inspector General, only about 73 tribes, of the more than 200 with casinos, have developed revenue allocation plans.īut more tribes are set to get into the action. Other tribes distribute more modest payments while the majority of tribes don't offer them at all. Some of the payments can be extremely high - members of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians receive $30,000 a month from the tribe's successful casino, The Los Angeles Times reported last year. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 authorizes the use of casino revenues for per capita programs. The IRS concern stems over attempts to avoid paying such taxes that tribal members have always paid.Īs the $19 billion Indian gaming industry continues to expand, debate over the distribution of per capita payments to tribal members grows along with it. Per capita payments have always been subject to federal taxes. Correction/Clarification: Per capita payments are NOT exempt from federal taxes.

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