Tribal leaders share what their priorities are to help sustain the long-term economic resilience of their communities, including what their primary areas of focus are for their gaming and entertainment enterprises this year. Here is what they had to say…
W. Ron Allen, Chairman
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
Sequim, WA
7cedars.com / jamestowntribe.org
Our tribe established a self-reliance goal a long time ago to advance our self-governance vision. We believe that, even though the federal government provides approximately $32 billion or so across the various federal programs serving Indian Country, it can’t or won’t ever provide the true needs of our tribal communities. I have always felt the true annual need for Indian Country is north of the $250-$300 billion level. The federal government doesn’t have the will to provide those needed resources.
We believe that we must stay focused on the tribal business arm of our government to provide for our needs. Jamestown, like many of our sister tribes, is continuing to diversify our economic portfolio. The construction industry is doing well in our local economy, and we are taking advantage of it with our construction operations (e.g., excavation, surveying and concrete businesses). Our Northwest Native Art gallery is doing well as is our Airbnb business. With the e-commerce market and communication system continuing to expand, our tribe is continuing to broaden our operations to take advantage of those opportunities (e.g., cell towers and telemarketing our products). For our tribe, the seafood industry provides a great opportunity for our shellfish and hatchery operations and continues to expand, including pursuing fish farms with natural Northwest species such as steelhead and sablefish.
We are blessed to have a small casino that allows us to get into the gaming industry, which is complemented with a small resort and golf course, and we and are continuing to expand those properties with a new RV park and additional C-stores. We recently expanded with a sports gambling venue, but our market is too small for it to make a difference except to be an additional amenity for the gaming market. Our focus for the immediate future is how to enhance our hospitality component of the property. We have high hopes for an expanded Phase II to add another tower and convention center, but we are a few years away from that part of our vision.
Gary Batton, Chief
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Durant, OK
choctawcasinos.com / choctawlanding.com / choctawnation.com
We are continuing to grow our tribal communities by adding housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. We are investing $85 million for health clinics in McAlester and Broken Bow, building 384 homes for our tribal members that live, work, and raise their families within our reservation, as well as investing $41 million in upgrading water infrastructure and roads within the reservation.
We are excited about several projects we are working on to assist with our nation’s long-term economic growth. We partnered with Craig International on the Preston Harbor project, a 3,114-acre, $6 billion development that will include approximately 7,500 homes – including luxury single-family, active adult, and multifamily homes – retail, restaurants, an upscale marina, and a Margaritaville resort on Lake Texoma in Denison. Along with our partners, we believe this project will have a big impact on the area population and prove to be a big economic boost for the Choctaw Nation and the entire region.
Additionally, we are excited to announce that the movie, Brave, will be the first-ever film to be filmed on Choctaw land and we have been closely involved in the development and pre-production of the film. The dramedy feature will begin shooting in the summer of 2025. The production will also bring economic opportunity to communities in Southeast Oklahoma by supporting local businesses and showcasing the beauty of our land.
In gaming and entertainment, our focus is to keep ourselves current in a constantly changing, evolving industry. We are investing in our properties by upgrading guest services and amenities.
Ensuring our guests have a first-class experience every time they visit one of our properties is a top priority. We are giving our guests the best experience possible by investing in associate training and development. We provide our associates with the tools and training they need to be good at their jobs.
Another focus is the development of amenities that attract families and make us an attractive family vacation destination. We are opening our third pool at our Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant property later this spring and keep the pool and firepits open year-round for guests at Choctaw Landing so they can enjoy the natural beauty of their Hochatown surroundings.
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts is known for its A-list entertainment lineup. This year, we are enhancing the entertainment offerings at all our properties. In addition to concerts, we offer meet-and-greets with celebrity athletes and our sports partners, creating an experience not available anywhere else.
Rodney Butler, Chairman
Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
Mashantucket, CT
foxwoods.com / foxwoodsesj.com / mptn-nsn.gov
This looks to be another promising year for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. We are preparing to launch our community master plan that envisions what Mashantucket will look like over the next few decades. Despite the challenge that 51 percent of our land is non-buildable due to wetlands and steep slopes, we have leveraged our Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to build a robust infrastructure that supports our community’s needs. From residential and cultural spaces to government, commercial, educational, and recreational facilities, our land is a testament to our ingenuity and responsible stewardship. Our top priorities, therefore, include the ongoing development of affordable residential homes and rental properties on our reservation, and enhanced upgrades for all our business enterprises.
We’ll continue to develop our resort offerings, as well as build on our successful online sports betting and iGaming platforms, to support our tribal economy. This year, we will celebrate the much-anticipated grand opening of Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket later this spring, bringing family-friendly entertainment to complement the rest of our integrated resort. We are also excited to showcase our resort through two seasons of the show Hell’s Kitchen, which was filmed at Mashantucket.
Healthcare remains a top priority as well. As one of only a few Indian Health Service-funded tribal health facilities in New England, we will enhance our services in 2025 with the development of a new state-of-the-art facility, hiring additional staff, enhancing our health programs and services, and updating our patient portal technology to help improve the ease of access to quality patient care.
We will also continue working alongside state and federal lawmakers and agencies to advocate for common-sense policies that support tribal sovereignty, economic development, and the well-being of our community, as well as Indian Country, which position us for positive economic growth that not only supports Mashantucket, but also Southeastern Connecticut and beyond.
Dedicated to our future generations inheriting clean, beautiful land, a safe community and a strong economy, our ultimate goal is to protect and advance our sovereign rights in order to build and preserve a cultural, social and economic foundation that can never be undermined or destroyed.
Brian Harris, Chief
Catawba Nation
Rock Hill, SC
twokingscasino.com / catawba.com
The revenues generated from our casinos have contributed to the economic development and self-sustainability of Catawba, as well as the surrounding communities. We have created job opportunities for both tribal members and local community members. We have various roles such as dealers, administrative staff, hospitality workers, and security personnel, to name a few. Catawba gaming has also generated revenues that are often reinvested into the tribe’s infrastructure and economy, which has led to the development of new businesses, improved healthcare facilities, educational programs and other initiatives that enhance the quality of life.
Catawba gaming revenues are also allocated to support educational programs and healthcare services. The funds can be used to enhance schools, scholarships, vocational training, and medical facilities – ultimately benefiting the tribe and the surrounding community. Cultural preservation is also something that benefits from the revenues, as it allows us to preserve and promote our cultural heritage. Funds are used for cultural events, language preservation programs, museums, historical sites, and other initiatives to help maintain and revitalize Catawba culture and traditions.
We have several initiatives for our tribe, such as economic development, educational and scholarship programs, infrastructure development, cultural preservation and support, social services, environmental conservation, and charitable contributions. Our goal is to generate revenue through gaming enterprises to support tribal growth, create job opportunities, and improve the overall economic well-being of tribal communities. We also plan to support and create educational initiatives, scholarships, and vocational training programs for tribal members. We want to support and expand our social services, which include healthcare programs, elder care, mental health services and substance abuse treatment.
To reach these goals, we realize infrastructure is a huge part of that, which means we plan to invest in road improvements, healthcare facilities, schools, and housing by using gaming revenue. We also want to be good stewards of our environment by allocating funds toward protecting and preserving the natural resources and environment within tribal lands.
And finally, our other goal is to support local non-profit organizations and provide support to neighboring communities with philanthropic activities through our Catawba Foundation.
This year, we will focus on building our casino resort and promoting our new table games and continuing to offer our patrons an enjoyable experience at Two Kings Casino.
Martin Harvier, President
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Scottsdale, AZ
casinoarizona.com / talkingstickresort.com / www.srpmic-nsn.gov
The Salt River Indian Community is dedicated to fostering long-term economic resilience through innovative development and thoughtful operations. We proudly own and operate Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, gaming landmarks in the Valley of the Sun, as well as many other successful hospitality enterprises such as Talking Stick Golf Club, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and two Marriott hotels. Since opening Talking Stick Resort in 2010, we have transformed the area into a vibrant entertainment hub by adding attractions such as spring training baseball, Topgolf, iFLY, an aquarium, and Medieval Times. These efforts have positioned our community as a premier destination for all ages.
Over the last two decades, we have prioritized enhancing guest experiences, on the gaming floor and beyond, through careful planning, efficiency, and innovation. Our goal remains to promote sustainable growth while maintaining the unique identity and cultural heritage of our community.
In the coming year, we aim to strengthen and expand our gaming and entertainment offerings. Recent enhancements to both properties include introducing sports wagering, craps, and roulette, alongside significant reinvestments in our slots, table games, poker, and bingo.
We are equally committed to empowering our nearly 3,200 team members through new programs that focus on both technical and soft skills development. Having grown from a team of 500 to 3,200 in just two decades, we understand the importance of nurturing our tenured employees and cultivating the next generation of leaders.
Additionally, we’ve completed renovations at Talking Stick Golf Club, expanding the property’s event and meeting spaces, and introduced new attractions such as PopStroke and Bam Kazam. We also established a dedicated tourism office to build B2B relationships and raise awareness of our area’s unique amenities, ensuring continued growth and visibility for the community.
Tehassi tasi Hill, Chairman
Oneida Nation
Oneida, WI
oneidacasinohotel.com / oneida-nsn.gov
When our new business committee came in, we were determined to go through nation building as a part of our strategic planning. There are five basic tenants to nation building – transformational leadership, strategic outlook, strong governing systems, cultural relevancy, and sovereignty. We are looking through those five different lenses to determine how best to meet the needs of our community.
As it relates to our economic strategy, we are working to determine the long-term needs of our community regarding wages, cost of living, and so on. Our goal is to identify a family-sustaining wage and reduce reliance on tribal economic support services by providing the jobs, training, and education necessary for our families to succeed.
Our gaming enterprise has been focused on employee retention and satisfaction. We cannot have a first-class gaming enterprise, hospitality and entertainment without having employees commanding the frontline positions. It is also important to be able to retain, train, and move those employees up the management ladder if they so choose to take that direction. We have taken the time to reinvest, do surveys and look at wages and recommendations from the employees themselves. Our gaming enterprise just put up an online suggestion box for employees to utilize to suggest improvements for our organization.
Over this past year, we have transitioned from a Radisson Hotel to what is now the Oneida Hotel. That transition has come under the gaming management team in order to have more responsive customer service and meet the needs of our gaming patrons. That has been in transition for about a year now, and we are working to ensure that the necessary systems and contracts are in place, properly structured, and appropriately scaled for both the gaming facility and the hotel. We have also had a gaming expansion project on deck for a while now, so we are in the process of reevaluating how to get such a project before our general tribal council in order to gain support for moving forward with what would be a pretty major expansion to the gaming facility.
Delores Pigsley, Chairman
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Siletz, OR
chinookwindscasino.com / ctsi.nsn.us
For 30 years, Chinook Winds Casino Resort has been the primary economic driver of the Siletz Tribe, providing steady jobs to hundreds of local residents and tribal members, while delivering a multifaceted entertainment experience for our guests.
Beyond its economic contributions, Chinook Winds reinvests in the community through fundraising, monetary donations and support of local charities. Chinook Winds has remained a pillar of strength for the community and its team members ensuring the economy stayed afloat even in tough times.
As we celebrate 30 years of success, Chinook Winds is focused on the future, investing back into the property with structural upgrades and acquisitions of cutting-edge technology that will fuel the business for years to come. Along with our current offerings of over 950 slot machines, 16 table games, keno, sports wagering, bingo, our childcare center, seven food venues, our new floor bar, lobby bar, arcade, 1,300-seat entertainment hall, 240+ room hotel, our 18 hole golf course and fitness center; we are proud to say we offer gaming and entertainment that is “Better at the Beach.”
This year’s milestone celebration is a testament to what the team and tribe have accomplished thus far and will foster a sense of pride, loyalty and optimism among the team members, guests, and tribal members.
The focus of our gaming enterprise this year is to continue to ensure that our slot offering is aligned with the market demand so we can offer our guests their favorite titles. Part of our strategy for achieving this is to utilize industry metrics. We use data such as analyzing the slot manufacturer market share when we make slot purchasing decisions for the property. We also keep a close eye on which titles are consistently in the top 20 nationwide. Our player development team has been invaluable by sharing feedback from our guests regarding the titles
they want to play.
Another area of importance for us in 2025 is to update the facility by making significant improvements to the property’s appearance. We recently completed a bar remodel and will expand the scope of this project to update the casino floor. We are in the midst of remodeling the exterior of the casino with a modern, clean design. We are proud to have incorporated tribal designs, which are very specific to the Siletz Tribe and which celebrate the tribal heritage here at the Oregon coast. The tribe is also investing in remodeling and updating the exterior of the hotel, which will result in a beautiful and inviting experience for our guests.
We will continue to invest in our team members. The Siletz Tribe has been very generous in allowing management to offer a huge array of programs and team appreciation events. Many of our team members are tribal, from the Siletz Tribe, as well as other tribes from Oregon and other states. We are very proud of our protégé program, which is our tribal team member development initiative. Many members of our director team have graduated from this program and have achieved tremendous professional success, both here in our organization, as well as at other properties. All of our team members are part of the Lincoln City community, and we strive to provide a welcoming environment for all, and to provide opportunities for growth, both personal and professional.
Lynn Valbuena, Chairwoman
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Highland, CA
yaamava.com / palms.com / sanmanuel-nsn.gov
Our tribal government and community remain committed to long-term resilience and sustainability as we employ development strategies that reflect our customs and traditions while ensuring continued success for generations to come. Our primary focus in the year ahead will be to protect our inherent tribal sovereignty, our tribal gaming rights, and our exclusive right for Class III gaming in California, which form the social and economic foundation of our San Manuel community.
Our flagship property, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, continues to break new ground, earning over 60 prestigious awards in 2024, including the coveted AAA Five Diamond rating. It was also recognized by Newsweek and USA Today10Best as a top Native American casino. Meanwhile, Palms Casino Resort received accolades as the Best Casino in Las Vegas, further solidifying our status as a leader in the industry.
These accomplishments reflect the strength of our strategic approach. The leadership teams at both Yaamava’ and Palms are focused on driving long-term growth through personalized management and operational excellence, ensuring that each property continues to thrive in its own unique way.
In 2025, the San Manuel Entertainment Authority (SMEA) will continue to work closely with leadership at Yaamava’ to innovate and elevate the guest experience. Yaamava’ Theater is set to host over 100 world-class shows with award-winning entertainers this year. Additionally, construction is already underway for an exciting new dining and entertainment experience. Expanding our spa and wellness offerings, we’ve partnered with luxury brands like Valmont, known for its premier skincare products.
Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Palms Casino Resort will enhance its iconic appeal, with a focus on unique promotions and gaming experiences.
Hamiinat, our tribe’s self-published lifestyle magazine, serves as a vital platform for sharing Serrano and other Native cultures, supporting Native artists, and engaging with visitors. Each guest receives a complimentary copy, furthering our mission to connect our traditions with the broader world and contribute to our community’s growth.
By remaining true to our values while embracing innovation, we are poised for continued success and long-term
sustainability.
Reggie Wassana, Governor
Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
Concho, OK
luckystarcasino.org / cheyenneandarapaho-nsn.gov
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes strive to offer reasonably priced entertainment with great amenities. We make efforts through player’s club offers, food specials, large drawing giveaways, special recognitions, and holiday specials.
We intend to be competitive with our gaming experience and continue to expand, replace, and repair our existing facilities. We monitor the pulse of the economy locally and nationwide. Political climates must be considered when developing your gaming enterprises. If details are not examined and carefully followed, the operations may experience delays and sometimes failure.
The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes intend to expand operations into three sites in 2025. They are 90 miles to 20 miles apart. We have completed feasibility studies and are working on financing for the projects. This is primarily due to our hard work on getting land into trust. Additional plans include expanding existing facilities to offer value-added accommodations for those wanting the gaming experience.