This month, four tribal leaders share how gaming revenues benefit their tribes and communities, goals and initiatives for their gaming operations and legislative/political matters of interest. Here is what they had to say…
Nicole Boyd, Chairwoman
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Legendary Waters Resort & Casino – Red Cliff, WI
legendarywaters.com / redcliff-nsn.gov
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Gaming revenue undoubtedly has a positive impact within our tribe and for our greater community. As the largest employer in Bayfield County, the Red Cliff Tribe and its gaming operation provide vital year-round job opportunities for both tribal members and area residents.
Beyond the economic impacts, Legendary Water Resort & Casino serves as a central hub for many community gatherings, events, and programming. We’ve created a space where both government and community groups can meet and promote initiatives. Through our safe house and shelter services, our operation also serves as an important safe haven for those in need.
I’m particularly proud of our efforts to provide cultural, recreational, wellness, and financial support to our local schools and programs. We’re able to host fundraising functions, and we use gaming revenue to help sponsor various youth trips and programming. Beyond our immediate tribal community, our operation supports non-profit organizations and foundations across the entire State of Wisconsin.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: The tribe is actively working to establish and expand tourism in a sustainable way. We’re very mindful about the balance of preserving and revitalizing
our cultural heritage with providing more tourism and work opportunities for our membership.
Cultural and agricultural tourism continue to move toward the forefront of our tourism sector. Geotourism is also an important growing aspect of our offerings, including the annual Aurora Summit. Hosted in Red Cliff, the summit celebrates the art, culture, science, and photography of the Aurora Borealis. The tribe is developing comprehensive destination tour packages that will attract visitors and boost our local economy.
LEGISLATIVE: The protection of our treaty rights, cultural lifeways, and natural resources are always a concern when dealing with U.S. legislation and politics. Despite our treaty rights being court-affirmed, they are consistently threatened by proposed legislation.
As it relates to tourism, we must be mindful of the current lack of infrastructure in our area. This means growing our tourism industry in a realistic and sustainable way. We are advocating for legislation that would increase our ability to provide affordable housing to retain a consistent workforce, emergency services, adequate road and transportation systems, water and sewer systems, and sufficient amenities for both residents and visitors.
Michael Connors, Chief
Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort – Hogansburg, NY
mohawkcasino.com / srmt-nsn.gov
BENEFITS OF GAMING: Gaming dollars have benefited Akwesasne in countless ways, from the basic services of health, welfare and educational benefits that all tribes generate, to employment opportunities both in Akwesasne and the surrounding area. We are in an economically depressed rural area. Between the tribal government, Mohawk Networks (broadband), and the casino operation, we generate a combined 1,400+ jobs to our area, with a Native employment percentage of 61 percent overall.
We also use our gaming dollars to fill in the gaps with state or federal funding shortfalls, such as road maintenance/repairs.
Gaming dollars also provide additional funding to local non-profits such as the Akwesasne Boy’s & Girl’s Club, the local volunteer fire department, and the Akwesasne Freedom School (local language immersion school), among others.
Gaming as a whole also supports tourism in the area by driving non-local traffic to our local, community member-owned businesses, such as convenience stores (gas/cigarettes), tribal licensed/member-owned cannabis retail stores, racetrack, and restaurants, among many other businesses. Our gaming dollars and traffic support thousands of jobs in these other local economic areas.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: Recent initiatives for the tribal government have included updating our aging buildings/infrastructure. Gaming dollars, ARPA dollars, and CARES ACT dollars have all greatly contributed to this effort. We also invest our gaming dollars into efforts for language/culture revitalization. Efforts are continuing to meet the needs of our community with housing developments and land acquisitions, which increase the land base of our community.
The main initiative for our casino is to continue to recover from the COVID pandemic. As our community is bisected by the U.S./Canada border, our Akwesasne Mohawk Casino relies greatly on Canadian day traffic. We lost that traffic completely while the international border was closed and are slowly recovering. Other tribal casinos maintained their radius of players, while half of our radius was closed for a significant amount of time.
To assist with that recovery, our casino recently opened a “smoking” room with 120 slot machines, with an air purification system. We also purchased a hotel across the parking lot to complement our casino hotel. That brought our room count from 150 to 261, in addition to our 19 RV spots. When the smoking room at the casino opened in August, the top
floor of the Players Inn Hotel also converted 41 rooms into smoking rooms, meeting player demands.
LEGISLATIVE: Legislatively, we continue to pursue a land claims settlement, which will need to be ratified by Congress to regain land that was sold in violation of the Non-Intercourse Act. We continue to regain acreage in pursuit of that effort. Over the past several years, we have also filed and received approval for over 200 acres to be returned under the land into trust process. We also support the proposed SLOT Act, which would raise the limits for taxable gaming wins to adjust for inflation since 1977, when it was last adjusted.
Whitney Gravelle, President
Bay Mills Indian Community
Bay Mills Resort & Casino – Brimley, MI
baymillscasinos.com / baymills.org
BENEFITS OF GAMING: The Bay Mills Indian Community has greatly benefited from gaming revenues, using them as a crucial tool for community and economic development. As the first Native American tribal nation in the United States to operate a gaming facility featuring slots and blackjack instead of just bingo, Bay Mills has been a pioneer in tribal gaming. When the Kings Club Casino opened in July 1984, it marked a significant step forward in securing economic independence for the community. The 7,500 sq. ft. casino, which included a café and billiard tables, became a foundational revenue source for the tribe.
Revenue from gaming has allowed the Bay Mills Indian Community to fund a variety of essential services, including healthcare, education, infrastructure development, and cultural preservation programs. The community also utilizes these funds to support economic diversification efforts, aiming to create sustainable development opportunities that go beyond gaming. This includes creating jobs for both tribal members and non-tribal residents, thereby strengthening the local economy and fostering greater community cohesion.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: One of the Bay Mills Indian Community’s current and most ambitious initiatives is the $100 million expansion of the Bay Mills Resort & Casino, which began after receiving overwhelming support from our General Tribal Council in September 2022. This project represents a strategic investment in transforming Bay Mills Resort & Casino into a premier destination in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. The expansion, expected to be completed by the fall of 2025, will nearly double the existing number of rooms with the addition of 134 new units, each featuring balconies that offer stunning waterfront views.
New amenities will include a pool with a splash pad, hot tubs, a spa with massage therapy rooms, a fitness center, a nail salon, conference space, an arcade, storefronts, and a deli. Outdoor improvements will include new patios, gazebos, gardens, fishing piers, a boardwalk along the waterfront, and an updated marina. These upgrades are designed to attract more visitors and enhance the guest experience, further solidifying the community’s vision of “Destination Bay Mills.”
The project was born from the desire to “do more and be more.” The aim is to elevate not only our tribal nation’s economic prospects, but also the quality of life for our tribal citizens and the surrounding region. The expansion will create new job opportunities and provide long-term benefits by enhancing the tribe’s financial stability and ability to invest in future endeavors.
LEGISLATIVE: The Bay Mills Indian Community, like many other tribes, faces several legislative, judicial, and political challenges that impact its sovereignty, economic development, and overall well-being. Key concerns often center around preserving and asserting tribal sovereignty, especially in matters related to gaming compacts, land rights, and the ability to self-govern without undue interference from state or federal entities.
The tribe is also vigilant about issues related to treaty rights, environmental protection, and resource management, as these directly affect our land, water, and cultural heritage. For example, legislative changes in gaming laws or environmental regulations can have profound effects on tribal enterprises and their ability to generate revenue for critical community services. The Bay Mills Indian Community must continuously advocate for its rights and interests in these areas, seeking fair and equitable treatment under the law.
Furthermore, our tribal nation is concerned with broader political issues that affect funding and support for essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. This includes advocating for more significant federal funding, better healthcare services for Native Americans, and addressing social issues such as substance abuse and mental health disparities.
Bay Mills Indian Community believes that we must “lift as you climb,” a philosophy that reflects our goal of uplifting our community and its members while advancing economic growth. This forward-looking approach is essential for navigating and overcoming legislative and political challenges while ensuring the long-term prosperity and self-determination of the Bay Mills Indian Community.
Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Principal Chief
Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Casinos – Fort Gibson, Grove, Ramona, Roland, Sallislaw, South Coffeyville, Tahlequah, West Siloam Springs, and Will Rogers Downs in Oklahoma; Gold Strike Casino Resort – Tunica, MS; Legends Resort & Casino – Russellville, AR (coming)
cherokeecasino.com / goldstrike.com / legendsarkansas.com / cherokee.org
BENEFITS OF GAMING: As the largest tribe in the United States, Cherokee Nation continually pursues opportunities to grow prosperity for our citizens. Cherokee Nation and its businesses create more than a $3.04 billion annual economic impact across the 14-county Cherokee Nation reservation, making Northeast Oklahoma a great place to live and raise a family.
Cherokee Nation Businesses is well known for driving economic and community development while operating industry-leading brands in hospitality and federal contracting, as well as cultural preservation and tourism. Growing our economy provides the resources to create quality jobs, establish better infrastructure, improve public schools and increase access to quality healthcare, benefiting all Oklahomans. As we continue to diversify our business efforts and grow across the country, we will continue to strive for the shared success of Cherokee Nation and our neighbors alike.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment (CNE) currently employs more than 4,000 people and provides world-class entertainment with 11 thriving locations and brands like Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, Gold Strike Casino Resort, Cherokee Casinos and the upcoming Legends Resort and Casino in Russellville, AR. Leveraging CNE’s ongoing success as a hospitality and gaming powerhouse has allowed the Cherokee Nation to flourish more than ever. Three decades of casino operations have allowed us to produce essential funding to advance housing, healthcare, education and services for the Cherokee people. We also reinvest revenue from our entertainment business to grow jobs within the reservation, increase wages for our employees and expand our business portfolio for the future.
GOALS & INITIATIVES: The work never stops when it comes to maintaining and evolving the level of excellence and industry-leading expertise our business endeavors have long been known and respected for. As Cherokee Nation continues to experience significant growth, expanding our business operations is one important way we can continue building and strengthening Cherokee communities and families.
In 2023, Cherokee Nation Entertainment purchased the operating rights to Gold Strike Casino Resort, marking the tribe’s first gaming destination outside of our reservation. This growth is the result of our business arm’s success and dedication to continue positioning CNE as a dominant and growing leader in the gaming industry. But while moving outside of our tribal borders was a natural evolution for our business, it was also a big move that signified our commitment to providing for our citizens for generations to come.
LEGISLATIVE: We’re looking forward to working with the State of Oklahoma to welcome sports betting to all of our casino destinations within our reservation. Sports betting has become a standard offering across the United States and bringing it to guests within our entertainment properties would allow for even more revenue to stay in Oklahoma and benefit Cherokee Nation citizens.