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Osage Nation government to receive additional $750K from gaming enterprise

The announcement comes on the heels of Casino Player Magazine’s 2021 Best of Gaming Awards, in which Osage Casinos won nine categories including Best Hosts, Best Blackjack and Best Video Slots.

The Osage Nation government is receiving an additional $750,000 in gaming revenue on top of the current 2022 fiscal year distribution it already receives to fund government operations and services.

On March 16, the Gaming Enterprise, which oversees the seven Osage Casino properties, announced the additional $750,000 distribution, noting the additional revenue is “a result of its continued growth throughout Osage County. The distribution is a true-up to the Nation above and beyond its monthly contributions.”

“Osage Casinos has become synonymous with world-class gaming, and we are proud that our revenues reflect the loyalty of our guests,” Byron Bighorse, CEO of Osage Casinos, said in a statement. “Our leadership team has worked diligently to build an organization that is healthy and strong, and as a result, we are able to provide additional funding for critical programs within the Osage Nation.”

The Nation’s FY 2022 projected revenue figure (previously approved by Congressional resolution ONCR 21-08) is $68,327,405 with $58 million coming from the Gaming Enterprise in monthly tribal distributions to the government. The Seventh ON Congress approved the current projected revenue figures in ONCR 21-08 during the 2021 Hun-Kah Session. The projected revenue figures are crucial during the Nation’s annual budget process because per the Osage Constitution, the Nation’s annual budgets for government operations shall not exceed projected revenues.

The additional $750,000 announcement comes on the heels of Casino Player Magazine’s 2021 Best of Gaming Awards, in which Osage Casinos won nine categories including Best Hosts, Best Blackjack and Best Video Slots.

According to Casino Player Magazine, Osage Casinos won in the following 2021 award categories: Best Players Club (second place), Best VIP Services (second place), Best Hosts (second place), Best Comps (first place), Best Promotions (second place), Best Dealers (third place), Best Video Slots (third place), Best Blackjack (first place) and second place in the category Casino Where You Feel Luckiest.

“The Osage Gaming Enterprise Board is committed to doing its best for the Osage Nation, and this true-up is an excellent example of how these seven properties directly impact our community,” Mark Revard, Gaming Enterprise Board Chair said in a statement. “We look forward to continued growth now and into the future.”

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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