Five tribal leaders share how gaming revenues have benefited their tribe and community, the initiatives and goals for their gaming enterprises, and legislative/political issues of concern. Here is what they had to say…
Rodney Butler, Chairman
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Foxwoods Resort Casino – Mashantucket, CT
foxwoods.com / mptn-nsn.gov
BENEFITS OF GAMING: The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s (MPTN) gaming operations generate significant gaming revenue for our tribal government, which provides essential services to our tribal members and extended community. Such services include health clinics, a pharmacy, and health plans for our employees, whose competitive benefits include a 401(k) with employer match, disability insurance, childcare reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, and paid meals. We also provide direct and indirect jobs for over 6,000 Connecticut and Rhode Island residents – approximately six times our tribal enrollment.
For our tribal community, we provide healthcare, education, scholarship and cultural programs, childcare, and early childhood and after-school programs. Likewise, we provide an array of government services, including but not limited to: fire, police and emergency dispatch, public works and utilities services, social services, and housing. We also have a tribal court system and regulatory bodies overseeing gaming, building and environmental permitting, historic preservation, zoning, food safety, and employee rights.
Since 1992, both of Connecticut’s federally recognized tribes have generated over $9 billion in direct funding to the state, which is distributed to municipal governments and to the state’s general fund. Likewise, taxes assessed on our off-reservation properties make the MPTN among the largest taxpayer in our neighboring towns.
We also collaborate with state and local governments and non-profit organizations to provide various services off-reservation, including our United Way partnership, Mystic Aquarium sponsorships, and mutual aid agreements for fire and emergency services, among others.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: MPTN’s mission statement is our Tribal Council’s north star: “The ultimate goal is to protect and advance the sovereign rights of the tribal nation in order to build and preserve a cultural, social and economic foundation that can never be undermined or destroyed.” Through our various economic development initiatives and other endeavors, the health, welfare, and safety of our tribal family, along with the protection and preservation of our culture, are paramount.
Foxwoods Resort Casino strives to be a leader, not only in Indian Country, but across the gaming and hospitality industries, offering a first-class and unique integrated resort experience for all of our customers. Now, more than ever, we are well-positioned to appeal not only to casino patrons, but also to customers of all ages through a broad range of attractions and offerings. We are likewise excited for what lies ahead for one of our newest ventures, Wondr Nation, our online gaming entertainment company. Wondr is enjoying great success in leading our iGaming efforts in Connecticut and remains keenly focused on using emerging technologies and trends to create new and exciting experiences for our players. The future is bright.
LEGISLATIVE: Dual taxation continues to burden tribal governments as they struggle to enhance and diversify their economies and is an affront to tribal sovereignty and self-determination. We are actively pursuing a range of solutions to address state and local government taxing authority over on-reservation businesses. Prohibiting these intrusions is the only pathway for tribal economies to reach their full potential and for tribal governments to have a real opportunity to fully meet the needs of citizens.
Ricky Sylestine, Chairman
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas
Naskila Casino – Livingston, TX
naskila.com / alabama-coushatta.com
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Gaming revenues through our Naskila Casino have become a significant economic driver for our tribe. The number one way it has benefited the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has been through job creation. We have been able to generate hundreds of new jobs for our tribal members and surrounding communities. Our casino has also provided us with revenue that enables investments in healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure. Revenues derived from gaming have also empowered our tribe to reduce dependency on outside resources and foster a sense of self-sufficiency and sovereignty, which will hopefully lead to an improved quality of life.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has several short and long-term goals. Economic self-sufficiency by reducing dependency on external resources is extremely high on our list of goals. I would say diversification of revenue streams, community development projects, cultural preservation, workforce development and community engagement are also on our list of goals for our tribe and Naskila Casino.
LEGISLATIVE: We are always monitoring legislation that could affect our tribe in any way, whether it be gaming, healthcare, environmental, education, etc.
Glenda Nelson, Chairwoman
Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain – Sacramento, CA
casino.hardrock.com/sacramento / enterpriserancheria.org
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Revenues associated with our gaming enterprise have provided numerous benefits for our tribe and surrounding communities. Since we opened our casino in 2019, we have been able to provide over $3.5 million to non-profits and organizations in Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties. We continue to develop and use our Enterprise Community Fund to improve lives and increase opportunity for all.
Importantly, our tribal revenues continue to provide opportunities for Enterprise Rancheria tribal members. Our human services programs are creating pathways to self-sufficiency through payments supporting education, professional trade job training and childcare, allowing our tribal members to achieve positive outcomes for families and individuals. In addition, our tribal housing program and associated financial assistance allows for our tribal members to have safe and reliable homes.
Finally, gaming revenues have allowed us to further our efforts of professional governance as an organization and plan for future generations.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: Tribal Council worked hard to develop a multi-year strategic plan built on a foundation of our core values: culture, trust, innovation, integrity, empowerment, sustainability, and community. Our strategic focus areas are workforce development, philanthropy, economic development, environmental and cultural resources, community infrastructure and healthy and safe communities. Associated with those strategies are specific initiatives that allow our tribe to remain focused on the future, making better lives for our tribal members and communities we share.
LEGISLATIVE: Generally, we are focused on all matters that impact Native Americans. Specifically, we support federal, state and local initiatives that provide a clear pathway and/or funding to achieve energy sovereignty, higher education, jobs, and the ability for federally recognized tribes to maintain their tribal member support systems. Human services programs, specifically health, are key to reduce addictions and promote rehabilitation and behavioral health services for Native Americans.
Regardless of federal or state leaders, or majority parties, it is important that Native Americans continue to have the support necessary to navigate barriers for health and wellness, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation for generations to come.
Jeffrey Stiffarm, President
Fort Belknap Indian Community
Fort Belknap Casino – Harlem, MT
fortbelknapcasino.com / ftbelknap.org
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Contrary to popular belief, fewer than 15 percent of Indian tribes operate prosperous casinos. Although the Fort Belknap Casino does not issue per capita or payouts to tribal members like larger casino tribes do, the casino revenue has attributed to sustaining the gaming operations, sustaining employment/jobs for tribal members locally on the reservation, and for charitable purposes such as traditional powwows, Natives in various athletic events, health and educational community events, and entertainment.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: Fort Belknap gaming has potential to generate future revenues to allow local tribal government/ leadership to fund essential community services or local infrastructure projects, or at the very least, avoid spending cuts.
The tribal government/leadership has recently considered supporting and endorsing horse racing on the reservation and recognizes horse racing as an integral part of Gros Ventre and Assiniboine heritage and culture.
LEGISLATIVE: Fort Belknap’s primary focus is on particular issues faced by the Great Plains, including Montana, Wyoming, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Our Fort Belknap Gaming Commission offers interdisciplinary perspective on tribal gaming, incorporating law, political and public administration.
Ben Barnes, Chief
Shawnee Tribe
Golden Mesa Casino – Guymon, OK
goldenmesa.com / shawnee-nsn.gov
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Even with the economic downturn during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, revenues from our Golden Mesa Casino in the panhandle region have enabled us to revive and expand our higher education awards. Through this program, we grant financial assistance to Shawnee citizens seeking post-secondary education or technical and vocational training. Several years ago, we were forced to shelve this program because our original funding source dried up. Since reinstating and expanding the program less than two years ago, we have awarded over $1.5 million to 422 Shawnee learners through the program.
Gaming revenue has also given the Shawnee Tribe means to implement a dozen additional citizen services and programs, such as burial assistance, elder care assistance, school clothing and extracurricular activities assistance, and a workforce entry and reentry support program.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: We are committed to the sustainability of our citizen service programs. We’ll continue developing and adding to the initial programs the team has developed, but we never want to be in the position where we must cut back a program that citizens have come to count on ever again. Our team intentionally rolls out programs with conservative benefits so the program can become more robust over time. Beyond that, a significant portion of our gaming revenue is held in investments, and another is dedicated to growing our business enterprises for the same reasons. We never want our citizens or future citizens to go without.
LEGISLATIVE: In 2020, we had to sue the federal government after the U.S. Treasury erroneously used a formula that set our tribal population at zero, which resulted in us receiving no CARES Act funding. Our tribe wasn’t the only one impacted by this error. Other tribal leaders and I couldn’t decide which error hurt us more – the lack of funding to remediate the adverse effects of the pandemic or the perpetuation of the idea that Shawnee people no longer exist. Issues surrounding tribal sovereignty and our ability to assert our sovereignty and rights are always of particular concern to me. Having a fund that we can draw on in times of emergency is critical to us, and I’m grateful that our business development team supports that.
At the local level, we are banding together with other tribal nations to assert our sovereignty and government-to-government relationship with the State of Oklahoma on tobacco compacts, gaming, and how the state and tribal tag systems and public safety offices work together.