The Hopi Tribe last week became the last Arizona tribe to sign a gaming compact with the state.
The outing Hopi Tribal Chairman Herman Honanie, in one of his last official actions and Governor Doug Ducey on November 30 signed the compact that will allow the tribe to operate up to 900 slots. The compact will be good for at least 20 years, but it must first be submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for approval.
The tribe in 1995 and 2004 voted to oppose participating in any form of gaming citing religious and cultural concerns. However, the tribe is expected to lose as much as 85 percent of its budget due to the closure of the Kayenta Mine in two years. Its only customer is the Navajo Generating Station, which will be closed in 2019 as that tribe transitions to natural gas.
Because of that development the tribal council last year authorized negotiating a gaming compact with the state.
Honanie released a statement in which he said, “I believe providing opportunities and a path to prosperity for our people is of the highest importance.” He added, “Our situation is fast-changing, so we have a situation where we need to consider but need to consider it in the best light possible.”
A new chairman Tim Nuvangyaoma will be dealing with the possibility of gaming for the tribe. The new chairman has said he needs time to assess the situation and goals for economic development before making any statements regarding tribal gaming.
A December 1 press release from Nuvangyaoma said, “With the tribe facing a huge loss in 85 percent of their revenue in 2019, Chairman Nuvangyaoma and his staff are ready to hit the ground running on day one to address the most pressing issues immediately.”
