We asked tribal leaders to discuss the steps their tribes are taking to uphold their long-term cultural and economic resilience, and the key focus areas for their gaming and entertainment enterprises. Here is what Governor Stephen Roe Lewis had to say…
Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor
Gila River Indian Community
Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Vee Quiva – Laveen Village, AZ
Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Lone Butte, Wild Horse Pass, Santan Mountain – Chandler, AZ
playatgila.com / gilariver.org
RESILIENCE: Our gaming enterprises make up a large component of the economic future for our community. Our community has been diligent about expansion of our gaming facilities, and the games that we are able to offer ensure we are able to compete in the marketplace. But, another key focus of the Gila River Indian Community is the protection of our water. The community’s focus on our water as both an economic resource and a cultural resource comes from our O’otham ancestors who were the first irrigators in what is now the State of Arizona. Today, we carry on their teaching to protect our water and to conserve our water today, and for future generations. Together with our gaming, our water resources are our major economic driver to provide for our members and to support our community’s role as an economic contributor to the economy of our reservation and the State of Arizona.
GAMING: At Gila River, we are focused on bringing new experiences and opportunities to our customers. In the hospitality business we always need to evolve and create an experience at our facilities that caters to a wide consumer base. We have been able to do that successfully throughout the years, but like other tribes, we are closely monitoring the potential encroachment of new types of gaming – including prediction markets – and developing strategies to protect our sovereignty as gaming changes to accommodate younger users and the gaming world outside of brick-and-mortar facilities.
