Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s sixth disbursement to the Nation totaled $5 million. Navajo Gaming presented the annual payment check at the start of the 24th Navajo Nation Council summer legislative session. With this recent payment, Navajo Gaming has given $23.3 million to the Navajo Nation Gaming Distribution Fund since the initial annual payment in 2012.
The funds are deposited into the Navajo Nation’s Gaming Distribution Fund, governed under the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Distributions to the Navajo Nation are made from Navajo Gaming’s excess cash after the Enterprise has paid all operating expenses, capital maintenance & improvement costs, and debt service.
Navajo Gaming employs Navajo Preference. In less than 10 years, it’s created over 7,600 direct, indirect and induced jobs with an overall economic output impact of over a billion dollars. A Navajo Gaming press release states: “The greatest asset of a successful company, corporation and/or business are their direct employees; Navajo Gaming has provided over 1,200 job opportunities for the Navajo people. The ability of Navajo Gaming to support the Navajo Nation through their annual Gaming Distribution Fund payments is reliant upon the enterprises’ superior staff and excellent customer service skills. The staff is the driving force of the success for this Tribal-owned business.”
“With the support of Navajo Nation Leadership, the Dine’ People and our Board of Directors, our Team has been able to continue to significantly increase the profitability and economic output of this enterprise while honoring and respecting the culture of Navajo. We are creating new jobs as part of our Strategic Development Plan and providing a strong rate of return to the Navajo Nation,” stated Brian Parrish, chief executive officer for Navajo Gaming.
“We as board of directors hold ourselves to the highest of standards as it relates to oversight of our billion-dollar business for our Navajo people, when they say Tone at the Top we have always encouraged our CEO and our Team to follow this lead,” said Quincy Natay, Chairman Navajo Gaming board of directors.
Just recently Navajo Gaming hired a group of Navajo interns, giving them the responsibility to work with the Executive Team to project manage and oversee the Twin Arrows Travel Center. Now they’re preparing for the opening of the very first travel center on the Navajo Nation. “This is how much we believe in creating a successful gaming business for our Navajo people,” stated Quincy Natay.
“The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise has quickly accelerated into one of the premier Tribal gaming operations in the United States. It’s an open secret that Gaming’s success is due to its employees, and the Council is a strong believer in our enterprise employees and their wellbeing,” stated honorable speaker of the 24th Navajo Nation Council Seth Damon. “Our Nation invested in the enterprise with the expectation that not only would the Navajo government reap the benefits of Gaming’s success, but our people, through stable, solid employment would bene t as well. When our enterprises succeed, our Nation succeeds.”
