Navajo tribe casinos could stop delivering paychecks

The Navajo gambling entreprise has revealed it may stop delivering paychecks amid a difficult financial situation.

US.- The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise has told employees that there is a possibility paychecks may not be delivered as the closure of its casinos continues. That measure would impact on more than 1,000 people.

The tribe owns three casinos in northwestern New Mexico and one east of Flagstaff, Arizona. All have been closed since March 17 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Until now, the majority of the 1,180 employees have remained on the payroll with benefits.

Brian Parrish, Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise interim chief executive, answered concerns about layoffs saying: “It’s not a sure thing the layoff is going to occur, but we wanted to err on the side of caution”.

Parrish revealed the company is running low on cash reserves, and that its sustainability is at risk.

Due to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the nation, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has extended the closure of tribal executive offices until mid-August.

Tribal officials reported 50 new cases of Covid-19 last week. The total number of people infected on the reservation stood at 8,734, with 432 known deaths.

According to health authorities, around 75,775 people have undergone testing and 6,481 have recovered from the virus.