In all of last year, tribal casinos raked in 22.6 billion dollars in revenue from their casinos, doubling the intake of gambling in Nevada, an industry group has reported.

This means a rise in revenue for the tribal casinos of 15 percent which is up from 19.6 billions dollars in 2004, said the National Indian Gaming Association this week. In almost every year since its framework was created in 1988, the tribal gaming venues have recorded double digit growth almost every year.

Now located nationwide, there are 408 Indian gambling facilities, including more than half are fully grown casinos running similar style casinos inside the casinos like the more typical Vegas casinos. The tribes also provide smaller gambling centers focusing on video poker and bingo.

Indian facilities are being operated in 28 states by 223 different Indian tribes.

Indian gaming around the country has continued to create some much needed jobs and opportunities for work in areas that have been hurting. But a spokesman for the National Indian Gaming Association said that now the industrys growth is focused on expanding facilities than they are in to building new casinos.

They say it is likely that growth will slow, yet they will still have to continue to meet and grow as the public demands new entertainment and recreational activities inside the casinos.

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board the Nevada casinos last year brought in 11.6 billion from gambling. But unlike their counter parts in Vegas, the Indian casinos do not rely heavily on entertainment and restaurants and shows and such, which gain pretty much all of their revenue from gambling alone.

Last year Indian casinos took in 2.7 billion dollars from non gambling entertainment.

Due to the growth of Indian casinos, some communities are in a backlash, partly because the tribes are recognized as sovereign governments and are not usually bound to the state or local zoning and even tax laws. But because of this congress, is considering legislation that would force tribes to only build casinos on their reservations and not away from them.