• Navajo Gaming willingly closed all its properties on March 17, 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the Navajo Nation
• Fire Rock and Northern Edge reopened on March 19, 2021.
• There are occupancy restrictions for restaurants, and the gaming floor has a number of social distance protocols in place.
• As the Navajo Nation continues to limit access to restrict the spread of Covid-19, both casinos are temporarily only allowing Navajo Nation residents inside.
• Twin Arrows Resort and Flowing Water remain closed.
• Navajo Nation Gaming Regulatory Office employs another 100
• Navajo Gaming employees are provided excellent pay, healthcare, education assistance and other benefits
• Health care coverage offered through Navajo Gaming covers 2,880 employees and family members
• The Navajo Gaming Enterprise has created hundreds of millions of dollars of economic value to the Navajo Nation
• Navajo Gaming financial performance prior to the pandemic was outstanding
• Substantial growth in revenues and profit over the past five years
• Self-funding for additional development in place and on track
• Development projects would create hundreds of additional jobs and millions of economic value
• Payments of $12 million annually to Navajo Nation for loan interest
• $5 million annually in transfers to chapters through Gaming Distribution Fund
• Taxes, lease payments and other expenses to Navajo Nation of millions annually
• All employees were placed on administrative leave with pay during the closure, depleting cash reserves
• Navajo Gaming successfully applied and received federal Payroll Protection Program funding
• All available funding sources and reserves were exhausted July 28, 2020, requiring Navajo Gaming to lay off 1,000 employees
• The Navajo Nation awarded Navajo Gaming $24.6 million in CARES Act monies
• The CARES Act monies enabled Navajo Gaming to resume paying employees on September 28, 2020 while the casinos remain closed
• Navajo Gaming has developed “best in class” safety and sanitization measures to reopen the casinos safely
• The Navajo Gaming safety program has been reviewed and modified based on input from Navajo Nation Dept. of Health
• Safety protocols exceed all published standards from Centers for Disease Control, National Indian Gaming Commission, state and workplace agencies
• 94% of U.S. casinos have already reopened