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Gaming Enterprise Board releases 2015 annual report

For the second year, the Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board is publishing an annual report with 2015 fiscal year information.

The report is available on the Nation’s website at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/gaming-enterprise-board on the Gaming Enterprise Board’s page. Click the “2015 Annual Report” link on the right side of the web page to view the 50-page report.

The report lists statistical data for the seven-property Osage Casinos during the 2015 fiscal year, biographies of the gaming board and Osage Casino management staff and information on each casino property.

Gaming Enterprise Board Chairman Mark Simms said in his report the Gaming Enterprise received its seventh consecutive unqualified audit report from the outside firm that reviewed the casino financial information.

Simms, a former ON Congressman, also said: “(The Gaming Enterprise) provided a special one-time lump sum distribution of $20 million to the Nation in FY 2016 along with a $46 million annual tribal distribution paid monthly for ongoing tribal programs throughout the year. The distribution and allocation of these funds is at the discretion of the Osage Nation Congress. The casinos have guaranteed the loan for the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch in Osage County.”

Simms also reported the (Gaming Enterprise) has provided indirect and direct funding for:

  • Equipment purchases for the ranch
  • ON Tax Commission
  • Osage Industrial Park
  • ON Gaming Commission
  • Osage Foundation

 

The Gaming Enterprise and Osage Casino management are now focusing on the new Tulsa casino expansion project, as well as a new casino for Pawhuska to remain competitive and to increase revenues, Simms said.

Osage Casinos CEO Byron Bighorse describes 2015 as the most successful year for the seven-casino enterprise’s financial performance. “Although we take time to acknowledge and celebrate our continued success, we remain wary of stagnation and, therefore, constantly strive to improve upon our accomplishments,” he said.

In the 2015 annual report, Osage Casino reported a total of 1,552 employees working for the gaming enterprise with 55 percent (857) white/ Caucasian, 21 percent (333) Native American, 11 percent (166) Osage, 6 percent (87) African American, 3 percent (53) not specified, and 2 percent each for Asian (32) and Hispanic people (34).

In the October report on employee numbers, casino Human Resources Director Kyle Revard told the Gaming Enterprise Board the number of casino employees who are Osage is 137, which is an increase from 128 in the prior month. Revard attributed the Osage employee increase due to the recent transfer of casino surveillance employees to casino management from the ON Gaming Commission, in addition to new hires in other casino areas.    

For more information on working for Osage Casinos and to view up-to-date casino employee openings, go online to www.osagecasinos.com/careers


By

Benny Polacca


Original Publish Date: 2016-12-13 00:00:00

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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