“We have to reduce key services to our membership, which impacts those most in need, such as elders.” “The financial impact is great in that a large majority of our income comes from our casino revenue and a smaller part through grants or other businesses,” Romanelli told Tribal Business News. In addition to simply losing revenue from customers, the tribe incurred other costs from closing, such as from food waste or disruptions to advertising dollars, he said. The subsequent loss of revenue has “devastated” the tribe’s budget, according to Ogema Larry Romanelli.
This marks the second time the casino has closed this year, following a six-week closure that began in late March during the pandemic’s initial wave. In late November the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians closed the doors of its Little River Casino Resort for two weeks, a reactionary move to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, which is spiking in the tribe’s northern Michigan community.
