Officials with the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise say all four of the tribe’s casinos will stay closed at least through this month.
Nearly 90% of the tribe’s gaming employees have gone without paychecks since Aug. 4 as funds ran low. Officials say the decision to remain closed impacts about 900 Navajo families.
“We do not want to lose our team members – it goes against everything we stand for," said interim Gaming CEO Brian Parrish in a press release. "Our mission is to enhance the quality of life of the Navajo people through a successful gaming economy. We have been challenged with this pandemic, but remain hopeful that we will reopen soon and re-stabilize our Navajo Gaming family.”
The tribe’s casinos closed March 17 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Navajo leaders have released a plan to gradually reopen the reservation as cases have flattened. Gaming officials say when casinos do begin to operate again they’ll implement strict safety measures.