The Kalispel Tribe of Indians has seen its economy pretty much shut down at the time it ceased the operation of its casino following the coronavirus outbreak in the state of Washington.
It was a difficult decision for Native American tribes to voluntarily shut their gambling venues down during the coronavirus pandemic, with about 500 Native American casinos having been closed. Considering the fact that these gambling facilities are often seen as the main source of income, the closure of the casino has been a massive blow to the Indian tribe at a time when authorities have been trying to protect people’s health in communities that have limited medical resources.
A total of $8 billion have been authorized for Native American tribes by the US Government as a relief package associated with the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020, at the time when most casinos nationwide shut operations. However, the distribution of the money has been slow, which has made the problems of Indian Reservations even deeper.
The closure of its Northern Quest Casino nearly two months ago has cost the Kalispel Tribe of Indians millions of dollars. With restrictions being gradually loosened across the country, the casino resumed operation on Tuesday, with some limits imposed on the number of working slot machines and table games, and the number of visitors to ensure the necessary social distancing.
The chief operating officer of the Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority, Phil Haugen, has noted that the lack of casino operations made the tribe unable to fund many programs, including education, health care, fire protection, law enforcement, etc.
Indian Casinos Nationwide Have Been Experiencing Serious Losses Due to Coronavirus Lockdown
Some casino venues owned by local Indian tribes have reopened or plan to do that in the upcoming weeks, but most gambling venues remain closed for the time being. The coronavirus shutdown also forced furloughs and layoffs across the country, which is a serious situation for tribes, as more than 1 million people have been working for them in their casinos.
As explained by the president of the union representing the card dealers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino, John DelMonte, for the time being, furloughed workers are getting unemployment benefits and health coverage from many casinos. Casino employees, however, have been willing to get back to work.
A number of Native American nations have already revealed considerable losses due to their casino closures. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has shared that it has been losing millions of dollars on a weekly basis but the protection of its workers has remained a paramount priority. As Mr. DelMonte explained, the tribe was waiting for state officials to say when it is safe for its casino to reopen.
Currently, it remains unclear when the Foxwoods Resort Casino or the Mohegan Sun casino also situated in the state of Connecticut, will resume operation. State authorities have revealed that they intend to start relaxing the coronavirus restrictions on May 20th. Other Indian casinos in the country also remain closed, with the nations that own and operate them losing millions every month while waiting for the Covid-19 lockdown to be loosened.
