GAMING NEWS
Arizona Dept. Of Gaming Reports $17.6 Million In Tribal Gaming Contributions For Q3 FY2021
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Launches New SAVVY Business Impact Group
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) announced $17,631,406 in tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the State’s third quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. This amount represents a 4 percent decrease when compared to the same quarter of FY2020.
In celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8th), Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino has announced the creation of SAVVY, a Business Impact Group (BIG) focused on the empowerment, support, and advancement of women within the company. The SAVVY BIG launched with a ZOOM Kickoff meeting to welcome members, identify the purpose and set goals.
"I am grateful for our strong relationship with Arizona Tribes, whose gaming contributions help fund instructional improvement programs like classroom size reduction, teacher salary increases and dropout prevention, reimbursement to hospitals for unrecovered trauma and emergency services costs, the enhancement and restoration of Arizona's diverse wildlife resources, the promotion tourism within the state, and more," said Ted Vogt, Director, ADG. "While we did see a small decrease in contributions this quarter, I believe that the overall strength of Arizona’s economy and the resiliency of Tribal gaming in the state will make this downturn short-lived." Tribal gaming contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund for the third quarter of State FY2021 follow: Instructional Improvement Fund/Education $ 8,556,115 Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 4,278,058 Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2,000,000 Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1,222,302 Tourism Fund $ 1,222,302 Problem Gambling $ 352,629 TOTAL Q3 FY2021 $17,631,406 Per the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact, Tribes with casinos contribute 1 to 8 percent of their Class III gross gaming revenue to the state, cities, towns and counties. Currently, there are 25 Class III casinos in Arizona, which ADG regulates with Arizona tribes. $
26 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2021 | azgamingguide.com
Each BIG within Harrah’s is led by members of the management team. Angie Groeneveld, Director of Hospitality, will act as SAVVY’s Senior Level Sponsor, and Donata Cobb, the Events, Promotions, Entertainment, and AV Marketing Manager, will serve as the Executive Sponsor. Other required roles and officers for the group will be elected after the group members are finalized. “It’s the perfect day to launch the SAVVY BIG because it’s International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women,” said Groeneveld. “This member-led group will provide the potential for personal and professional networking and development, as well as opportunities to give back to our community. I’m so happy to be a part of it.” The SAVVY BIG is for team members and their peer supporters who have common goals and are committed to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino’s diversity and inclusion strategy. BIGs are staff-led groups and are inclusive to all team members who support the BIG’s mission. The goals of each BIG are: Promote cultural awareness and education Develop team members personally and professionally Drive innovation and strategic business initiatives Support diverse team member recruitment and retention Foster a positive company image in communities
This is the second BIG created by Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. The SALUTE BIG for Military team members and their allies was created September 2019. $
