spotlight across the nation

24 Indian Gaming April 2008

Mitchell Cypress, Chairman Seminole Tribe of FloridaSeminole Hard Rock Hollywood, SeminoleHard Rock Tampa, Seminole Indian Casino Big Cypress, Seminole Indian Casino Brighton,Seminole Indian Casino Immokalee, SeminoleIndian Casino Hollywood, Seminole IndianCasino Coconut Creek - Floridawww.seminoletribe.com

We first opened the Semi-nole Indian Casino, Holly-wood on December 14, 1979.We opened with one bingohall and now have seven gaming properties across thesouthern half of the state ofFlorida. We started with bingogames, added electronic pull-tab machines, and now haveadded Class III gaming devicesto two of our seven facilities.

Indian gaming provided therevenue that allowed the TribalCouncil the means to enhance

direct and indirect tribal member services and reorganizeexisting programs that were once solely reliant on federal dollars. These programs were not only enhanced, but in somecases completely reorganized with tribal dollars.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida provides programs such ashealth, education, housing, and elder services that address theeveryday needs and concerns of its tribal members. Otherprograms, such as recreation, wellness, tribal member businessloans, the Office of Trust Management, just to name a few, aresupplemental programs designed to improve the tribal members' quality of life both on and off the reservation.Although Indian gaming provided the revenue, the job ofenhancing the lives of tribal members requires responsible lead-ership and an engaged community. The richness of the tribecannot be measured with gaming revenue, but in the health,safety and welfare of the tribal membership.

The impact of Indian gaming on the local community (out-side of the Seminole Tribe of Florida) can be measured withsimple statistics. The Seminole Tribe of Florida has more

non-contiguous reservations than any tribe in North America,causing increased interaction between tribal and non-tribalneighbors. The Seminole Tribe of Florida currently employsnearly 6,000 non-Indian employees and purchases more than$332 million dollars in goods and services from more than 8,000Florida vendors a year.

In addition, the tribe pays $13 million in federal payroll taxes.It is also interesting to know that the most common visitors tothe tribe's tourism enterprises on the Big Cypress IndianReservation are Florida residents.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida's Tribal Council recognizesthe need to diversify its economic/investment portfolio in aneffort to provide for future generations of tribal members. Thetribe continues to support a healthy cattle program, agricul-ture, and tourism, as well as programs that are innovative andappealing to our youth for the maintenance of our culture, language, heritage and traditions, including schools on our reservations that are SAC accredited. The most publicized diver-sification effort was the tribe's 2007 acquisition of Hard RockInternational, which has been the most aggressive move towardsthe globalization of the tribe's holdings to date.

Diane Enos, President Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian CommunityCasino Arizona 101 & McKellips, Casino Arizona 101 & Indian Bend - Scottsdale, AZwww.saltriver.pima-maricopa.nsn.us

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Communityopened its first temporarycasino in June of 1998 at McKellips Road and the 101site. We opened in a “Sprung”building with 47 table gamesand 340 employees. In Augustof that same year, the tribesigned its Class III compactwith the state of Arizona, which allowed us to add slotmachines. We installed 250 slotmachines and 30 table games inthe facility in 1998.

TRIBAL LEADER ROUNDTABLE

The National Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow and Convention is an opportunity toreflect on the success and prosperity that Indian gaming has brought to numerous tribes. In this month's Tribal Leader Roundtable, we spoke with tribal leaders from across the nationabout their gaming properties and the impact gaming revenue's have on their tribes as well as their local communities. Here is what they had to say…

Spotlight Across the Nation

Mitchell Cypress

Diane Enos



In 1999, the community opened its second gaming facility,Casino Arizona at Indian Bend, which is another “Sprung”building. This facility holds 332 slots and 43 table games.This building is still in operation. We began construction toreplace the “Sprung” structure at McKellips Road and the 101and opened Casino Arizona at McKellips & 101 in Septemberof 2000. At that time, the design of this facility raised the barfor Indian casinos. Today it operates as our premier locationas it is adjacent to two major freeways, the 202 and the 101.The casino houses five restaurants, a contemporary NativeAmerican art collection, a state-of-the-art showroom, and a giftshop in addition to slot machines and games.

In 2006 the community voters held a referendum regard-ing the design and construction of a new resort/casino for theIndian Bend site. The passage of that referendum requires tribalgovernment to build a multi-story resort at its Indian Bend site.Construction has now begun on a fifteen-story resort and a permanent casino/conference center. Change is definitelyoccurring for us as we expect to see the building begin to risethis summer. The new profile of our resort/casino will dramat-ically change the landscape in this part of our community.

As a result of gaming revenues, the community has built abeautiful new high school and junior high campus,

constructed a new early childhood learning center, and hiredqualified professionals to staff all our schools. We have improvedhealthcare services by supplementing the current IHS clinic inour community with the addition of a medical doctor, two pharmacists, a pediatrician and a psychiatrist. We have purchased needed public safety equipment such as fire trucks,police vehicles and state-of-the-art equipment, and have sig-nificantly enlarged our public safety staffs. We also completeda new jail facility that is a tremendous improvement over theantiquated and likely unsafe jail, which was often at capacity.The new detention center includes classrooms for inmates aswell as provides for other necessary social services to helpthem transition back to the community. We have also embarkedon capital improvement projects that include sewer systems,housing for senior and disabled members of the tribe. All inall, gaming has had a significant impact on the services that thetribe has been able to provide, including such varied things asan improved water delivery system, garbage trucks and scholarships. Gaming has also expanded opportunities for employ-ment as well as opportunities for community-member vendors.

Our casino is a major employer in the local community, withmost of the employees coming to work from off of the reser-vation. The casinos purchase goods and services from local vendors. Most, if not all of the supplies needed to fuel its operations are locally purchased from area suppliers. Off-reservation vendors supply foodstuffs for the restaurants,supplies for the cleaning needs, paper and office material.Local art, architectural and contracting needs are locally contracted for, as well as building materials. The list goes onand on, but it is clear that the casinos do generate revenues forthe local economy in many other ways besides adding to thepayroll. Our compact also stipulates that a portion of our net gaming revenues be shared with the state, so our gaming dollarsalso support education statewide, emergency health care andtrauma centers, wildlife conservation, economic developmentand other needs such as local fire and police protection.

We believe strongly that in order for our children to thriveand look forward to a positive future, it is our responsibility toprovide opportunities for our youth to grow in positive ways.Therefore the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Communityis investing a good amount of its income in scholarships formembers so that they are, in turn, able to care for their families and provide a stable future for their children. The children of the community are being given a great shot at a goodeducation beginning very early on with the tribe's establish-ment of its pre-school child-care facilities. We have alsoenhanced our education staff beginning with pre-school age allthe way through high school. For those children who come fromfamilies who are not able to care for them, we have built andstaffed group homes so that these children can receive the bestcare and support so they can ultimately transition back into thecommunity at large. We currently have built, staffed and operate seven of these group homes.



John A. Maurice, Sr., PresidentSeneca Nation of IndiansSeneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, NiagaraFalls; Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel,Salamanca; Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino,Buffalo - New Yorkwww.seneca-casinos.com

We opened our first casino,Seneca Niagara Casino, onDecember 31, 2002, after converting an aging, under-utilized and under-maintainedconvention center into aworld-class, full-service casino.The entire process was com-plete in 100 days at a cost of$100 million.

Much has changed sinceour initial foray into the casinoindustry. Since opening SenecaNiagara, the Seneca Nation

and Seneca Gaming Corporation opened the temporary SenecaAllegany Casino in 2004; the 26-story Seneca Niagara Casino& Hotel, a four-star property, in 2005; the permanent SenecaAllegany Casino & Hotel facility in 2007; the temporarySeneca Buffalo Creek Casino in 2007; and the new Seneca Allegany Events Center earlier this year. Of course, we are nowin construction for the $333 million permanent Seneca BuffaloCreek Casino project, which is scheduled to be complete in 2010.In all, we have completed nearly $800 million in constructionprojects since 2002 and we operate more than 6,500 slotmachines, 140 table games, 800 hotel rooms, 10 restaurants andrelated amenities which serve over 11 million people every year.

Our casino success has helped the Seneca Nation make a significant difference on our territories. Roads long-overduefor repair are now being paved, our schools are being enhanced,we are purchasing top quality medical equipment to providebetter care for our elders, and we recently built two state-of-the-art wellness centers on our territories to help care for ourpeople and teach them about healthier lifestyle choices. In addition, the Seneca Nation made a successful $159 millionmunicipal bond offering in the spring of 2007. This unprece-dented step will ensure that priority capital and infrastructureprojects on our territories are completed so that the 7,600 members of the Seneca Nation can all enjoy a better qualityof life, which was our goal in developing a gaming enterprise.

Seneca Gaming Corporation now employs more than 4,300people, making us one of the largest, most successful andfastest-growing private sector employers in Western NewYork. Our employees earn good wages and receive excellent benefits, which allow them and their families to remain in Western New York. Of course, those dollars are reinvestedlocally, helping to strengthen the economy. Beyond the directjobs, however, the Seneca Nation's gaming enterprises supportthousands of additional jobs in the local economy, most notablythrough the more than $90 million we spend with local companies every year. Perhaps the largest benefit, though,comes through the Nation's slot revenue sharing agreementwith New York State. To date, our facilities have generated morethan $295 million in new revenue for the state, more than $70million of which has been dedicated to the communities whereour casinos are located.

Our successful gaming enterprise was created to build a strongfuture for the Seneca Nation of Indians and our young peopleare benefiting from our business success in many ways. Aside froma financially stronger Nation, we are closer to economic sover-eignty than ever before, we are reinvesting in our schools, ourculture and our language so that our young people may never losetheir Seneca identity. The Seneca Nation is also creating jobopportunities through our casino enterprise. High school studentsare being advised as to what career opportunities may be affordedto them if they continue to pursue their education, while collegestudents are being given internship opportunities to complementtheir studies and prepare them for the workforce. We have also

John A. Maurice, Sr.


developed training programs for those Nation members who workin our casinos, so that they may be groomed for management posi-tions and continue to grow within the company by honing theirskills and strengthening their expertise.

Marshall McKay, ChairmanRumsey Band of Wintun IndiansCache Creek Casino Resort - Brooks, Californiawww.rumseyrancheria.org

The Rumsey Band openedits Cache Creek Indian Bingoand Casino on 188 acres oftribal trust property in Brooks,CA in 1985. From the humblebeginnings of a bingo hall,Cache Creek has grown to74,720 sq. ft. of casino spacefeaturing 2,200 slot machinesand more than 120 tablegames. The 415,000 sq. ft.property also includes a 200-room luxury hotel andhealth spa, eight restaurants,an 18-hole championship golf

course, Club 88 entertainment venue, outdoor swimmingpool, casino gift shop and tribal-operated mini mart, gas station and fire station, and photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell powergeneration stations.

The success of Cache Creek Casino Resort has had a majorimpact on tribal members' lives through education, housing,cultural renewal and health and wellness. The tribal commu-nity includes homes for every adult member of the tribe, a community center, recreation areas, and the Yocha-De-HePreparatory School. The school, opened in 1998, provides education to children from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade,and welcomes children from the tribe as well as the surround-ing community. In addition, tribal member-focused effortsinclude cultural and language renewal efforts, an extensivehealth and wellness program, and financial and continuing education efforts.

The tribe is an active part of the Capay Valley and YoloCounty community, and is a generous contributor to local, state,national, and international causes. The Yocha-De-He Community Fund was established in 2000 by members as a phil-anthropic branch of tribal government. The fund provides over$1 million annually to non-profit organizations to strengthenregional programs and services in Yolo County and surround-ing areas. To date, the fund contributes to more than 260 localorganizations and the contribution total exceeds $12 million,supporting education, community health, arts and humanities,environment, community development and social services.

It is a central mission for the tribe to improve and protectthe region in which we live and work. The Rumsey RancheriaFire Department provides full service fire and life safetyresponse, including response to neighboring areas in the CapayValley. We are also proud to employ members of our commu-nity. With approximately 2,500 workers, Cache Creek CasinoResort is the largest private employer in Yolo County.

The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians has worked hard toprovide for future generations by engaging in comprehensiveeconomic development and investment planning to diversifytheir economic base. In addition to owning and operating CacheCreek Casino Resort and other enterprises, the tribe owns morethan 3,000 acres in Yolo County has one of the region's mostdiverse farming operations.

Larry Romanelli, Ogema (Tribal President)Little River Band of Ottawa IndiansLittle River Casino Resort - Manistee, Michiganwww.lrcr.com

The Little River Band ofOttawa Indians first opened agaming venue in 1998. Sinceits opening, The Little RiverCasino has expanded to bemore than just a gaming entityto take its place as a regionalentertainment center with a1,700-seat, state of the artevent center; 300 room hotelwith three restaurant facili-ties; and a 100-space, full service RV camp site.

The facility has providedthe basis for greatly enhanced services to our tribal citizensincluding health and human services, educational and jobopportunities, a highly regarded natural resources program forprotection of our lands and waters, and housing for our elders,to mention a few areas. In addition, the success of our facilityhas allowed us to establish a revenue sharing plan (per capitapayment) to help elevate the standard of living of our citizens.

Through our compact, the local community has benefitedin several different ways. First, between the casino and the gov-ernment offices, we are the 1st and 4th largest employers in ourcounty, providing over 1,200 full-time jobs with benefits! Wedirectly pay well over $2 million dollars a year for support oflocal government activities in the city and county and spendmillions of dollars with local suppliers and contractors.

While we have regular 'investments,' we are also investing innon-gaming business enterprises and supporting tribal member-owned businesses, including an extensive commercial fishingoperation, a new “C” store, and two construction companies.


Larry Romanelli

Marshall McKay



Warren C. Swartz, Jr., Tribal Council PresidentKeweenaw Bay Indian CommunityOjibwa Casino & Resort Baraga,Ojibwa Casino II Marquette - Michiganwww.ojibwacasino.com

The Keweenaw Bay IndianCommunity takes great pridein the fact that Indian casinogaming began on our Reserva-tion. In 1982 the KeweenawBay Indian Community TribalCouncil issued a license toopen a casino to tribal memberFred Dakota. On December31, 1982 Mr. Dakota openedhis casino on our reservation.After many legal battles Mr.Dakota was forced to close hiscasino but his effort allowedthe Tribal Council to open a

tribal casino in 1984. Other tribes followed and tribal casinogaming spread across the country.

In the beginning there was little competition so peoplecame from longer distances to play at our casino. It was a uniqueexperience for them and they made a vacation out of visitingour casino and spent time in our area spending money and help-ing our local economy. Today there is lots of competition andpeople do not have to travel long distances to find a casino sowe have to look at different ways to attract people to our casinos. We still are located in a beautiful area and can offermany sights for people who want to combine a vacation withgaming. We have worked hard at attracting people who like winter sports, like snowmobiling and skiing, to our area, as wellas summer tourists. But today we must compete on all levelsin order to maintain profitable facilities.

Economic stability and educational opportunity havebeen the changes that have impacted our community members the most since the onset of gaming. We now haveour own community college and more and more of ourmembership are attending college and obtaining their college degrees. Jobs in our area prior to gaming were scarceand gaming has allowed our membership and non-Indians inour area the opportunity to obtain and hold a job for anextended period of time. This has allowed for all of the positive things that come with career employment.

We live in a remote area of Michigan. We are not in an areathat people drive through in order to get somewhere else. Inorder to come to our area it has to be your destination. As aresult most of our economy is locally based along with sometourism. At one time we were a mining area, but the mines inour area closed a long time ago and many people left our area

for employment elsewhere. Gaming has helped increase tourismand has provided jobs to the local community and helpedbuild the local economy. Today the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is one of the area's largest employers and isresponsible for a large part of the local economy.

Our community is reinvesting in our youth through education. As a community we encourage our youth to furthereducation by assisting them wherever possible. We have alsobuilt and maintain a community college to allow our youth anopportunity to get a start on education locally and also allowthose who are working the opportunity to further their education. We are investing in tribal housing to provide adequateshelter for our membership. We are investing in training ourmembership in business through our business education program, which assists people in starting their own businesses.We are also working hard at protecting our gaming so it willbe continue to be a strong part of our economy in the future.

Lisa S. Waukau, Tribal ChairmanMenominee Indian Tribe of WisconsinMenominee Casino-Bingo-Hotel - Keshena,Wiscsonsinwww.menominee-nsn.gov

We opened our gamingoperation in 1987 and last yearwe celebrated our 20 yearanniversary. Our property hasgone through two expansions,which took place in the early90s. We are currently review-ing plans to look at the feasi-bility of building a new facilitythat could replace the currentoperation.

Our gaming property hasincreased the number of jobsavailable on the reservation aswell as allowed the tribe to

continue funding programs that serve tribal membership. Thegaming operation is the tribe's largest revenue source.

Because of the increased number of jobs from gaming,tribal members have additional monies to spend on things theyneed for themselves and their families. The gaming operationalso spends monies with local vendors for the goods and services needed to operate the facility.

We have not yet been able to reinvest for future generations.Our tribe is the largest and poorest in our state and every dollar that comes from our gaming operation goes to fundneeded tribal programs. We also do not pay any gaming percapita, because of the large unmet needs that continue to existfor our tribe. The dollars generated by the gaming operationis simply unable to meet the huge needs of our tribe. ¨

Warren C. Swartz, Jr.

Lisa S. Waukau

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