May 21, 2020
Today’s post is from Chief William L. Fisher. He has an update about the opening of Grand Lake Casino.
I am glad to announce that, starting today, Grand Lake Casino is open for business. We can all be proud of the hard work exhibited by our GM, Dusty Logan, and the entire leadership team as they have prepared for this reopening under difficult and complex circumstances. We are reopening Grand Lake Casino with the intent of being the cleanest and safest place we can possibly provide for our guests and team members. Grand Lake Casino’s public health and sanitation measures will include temperature checks and masks required for everyone entering the building, additional hand sanitizing stations are placed throughout the casino and our gaming floor will be completely non-smoking. For guests wishing to enjoy a meal or beverage with us, we will be offering those items, Consumption of these items will be restricted to the non-gaming area of the casino. Social distancing measures will also remain in effect throughout our phased reopening as we continue to promote the wellbeing of all Seneca-Cayuga people.
Opening Grand Lake Casino is an important step as we return the Seneca-Cayuga Nation to full operation. The Federal Government has provided some relief money through the CARES Act. This money has been helpful, but it will run out, and it comes with many restrictions on its use. Restarting casino operations will help us return to supporting ourselves with funds that are not restricted by outside government control.
Today is just the first step in a long process of bringing the casino back to full operation, and there is still much uncertainty ahead. Things will not return to normal overnight. We cannot predict how COVID-19 will impact casino revenue in the coming months. As revenue does return, it will take time for that money to be available for benefits and other programs. There is a considerable backlog of benefit applications that will take time to process and pay. Please be patient as we work to make the best possible decisions in a continually changing environment.
Today, we can take a moment to be thankful for the hard work everyone at Grand Lake Casino has done to prepare for our reopening and we look forward to the return of our guests. We will continue to work through this crisis while protecting the long-term health and sustainability of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation.
Please be safe, and I hope we all stay healthy. Thank you.
Chief William L. Fisher
