While disputes about tribes building more casinos continue, many are wondering where the future of tribal commercial enterprises will go, and what impact it will have on local economies.  There is no doubt that the driving force behind some tribes recent economic boom is casino revenues and so it is not surprising that tribes are still trying to build more casinos.   Even in states that allow gaming, there is starting to be push back on the local level for new casinos being built.

Partly because of this resistance and because of tribes now having large amounts of capital, many are expanding into different areas.  The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, for example, not only operates the second largest casino in the United States, it also owns a WNBA team, a golf course, and is a popular destination for concerts and other events.  The Muscogee Creek Nation has just recently purchased a shopping and restaurant center near their casino.  This has interesting implications for the local economy.  While the state can still tax the land, they would do not have the ability to bring suit against the tribe to collect those taxes.  Tribally owned commercial enterprises are also not subject to state workers compensation laws.