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Since the late 1980s, when Native American tribes won the right to build casinos on their own land, the industry has flourished. Today, all over the country, Native American casinos are expanding or completely rebuilding their facilities. The new facilities are being rebuilt with new technology and are providing a resort style stay with great restaurants and more family activities.
“The casino and gaming industry is one of the 15 markets that Parsons Electric focuses our business around.”
— Parsons Electric’s Vice President Dave Karsky
The casino and gaming industry is one of the 15 markets that Parsons Electric focuses our business around,” says Dave Karsky, Parsons Electric’s Vice President.
“Parsons has been working in this industry since the mid eighties and has completed over 40 casinos or additions since then.”
Technology
“New technology constantly requires us to re-think the casino model,” Karsky says. “One example is the casino slot machine which is moving from the drop-coin model to a ticket-in/ticket-out model where credit/debit cards are used in lieu of coins.”
Backup power for these buildings is integral. “These buildings have to be backed up 100 percent on generator power and UPS systems for security functions, money-handling areas, and data systems,” Karsky says. Lighting systems are designed for function, security and marketing. Fixtures are designed to accent the architectural design and some designs use state-of-the-art light emitting diodes (LEDs).”
Steve Idso, Senior Project Manager for Parsons Technologies Division says, “The voice and data systems along with the slot management cabling systems are just as crucial to casino operations as the electrical power.” Both Steve and Dave agree that the majority of casino projects are fast-track and have a wide range of occupancies from casinos to daycare. Each type of occupancy mandates different installations specification parameters.
Minnesota Casinos/Hotels
Parsons is designing and constructing the Black Bear Hotel & Casino in Carlton, Minnesota.
In Minnesota, less than 20 years ago, there were two casinos within a two-hour drive from Minneapolis; today, there are about 25 casinos statewide. Tribal casinos have proven to be a major tourist attraction in Minnesota, second only to the Mall of America. In 2000, Minnesota’s tribal casinos attracted more than 20.7 million patrons, about 17 percent (almost 3.7 million) from outside the state. Those visitors spent an estimated $191.2 million on lodging, food, gas, and other purchases on and off the reservation. Tribal gaming has enabled Minnesota’s Indian tribes to begin rebuilding their reservations after centuries of poverty and neglect.
Parsons is currently designing and constructing the Black Bear Hotel & Casino in Carlton, Minnesota (20 minutes south of Duluth) for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Karsky says this will be a showpiece when it is completed in the spring of 2008.
The hotel portion of the project will feature 250 new rooms, 156 remodeled rooms, a 500,000-square-foot parking garage and more. For the casino, the project has involved knocking down the old casino, adding a convention center, in addition to 80,000 square feet for gaming, and 60,000 square feet for back-of-house operations. Outside, environmentally-friendly LED lighting will give the façade a colorful look and maintain the casino manager’s ability to create unique designs and color schemes at will.
The casino will be a showpiece when it is completed in 2008.
Parsons recently completed the cabling infrastructure for the Grand Casino Hinckley Hotel and Welcome Center in Hinckley, Minnesota for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The 5-star hotel has 305 rooms and covers 218,000 square feet and 13 stories. The expansion also included administration space, a full-service spa, and a 2,500 seat entertainment center.
Parsons was responsible for the fiber optic backbone to all telecommunication rooms. The voice and data cabling was Category 5 for the hotel and Category 6 for the entertainment center. Parsons also installed the surveillance wiring and security cabling. “The nine month expansion presented challenges and required creative thinking,” says Idso. “But the dedication by the whole team to create a quality product made the project a success.”
“Parsons was one of the real bright spots for us on this job; you were timely, always professional and the first ones in line to help us when we got in a jamb. It was a difficult and complex project and I appreciate the level of experience and professionalism you brought to the project,” says Harry Hearn, Construction Manager for Grand Casino Hinckley.
Oklahoma Casinos/Hotels
Parsons began working with the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma in 2006 and has completed the Durant Casino and Hotel and the Pocola Casino. Both the Durant Casino and the Pocola Casino feature 2,000 gaming machines and a Vegas-style buffet and restaurant. Parsons completed these projects using a design-build delivery model. The facilities feature a unique color changing 50 foot high translucent entrance tower with additional custom lighting to highlight the architectural features throughout the facilities.
The Cornerstones of Tribal Self-Government
In 1934, federal policy changed again with passage of the Indian Reorganization Act, which restored tribal lands and permitted tribes to reorganize under federal law for purposes of self-government. Since 1934, Congress has passed several other landmark statutes
to strengthen tribal self-government, including:
- The Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, which applied most of the Bill of Rights’ requirements and guarantees to Indian tribal governments;
- The Indian Self-Determination and Education Act of 1975, which strongly reaffirmed Congress’ policy that tribal governments should be permitted to control education programs, contracts, and grants affecting Indians;
- The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, which established federal rules to ensure that Indian children removed from their homes are placed with Indian families whenever possible to preserve cultural values;
- The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which recognizes Indian gaming as a vehicle for achieving economic self-sufficiency on reservations, and details the authority and role of tribal governments, the federal governments and the states in Indian gaming;
- The Indian Tribal Justice Act of 1993, which reaffirmed the responsibility of the U.S. government to tribal governments, including the protection of the sovereignty of each tribal government; and confirmed that Congress, through statutes, treaties and administrative authorities, has recognized the self-determination, self-reliance, and inherent sovereignty of Indian tribes.
Source: www.mnindiangaming.com
The Fort Sill Apache Casino in Lawton, Oklahoma, involved upgrading an existing metal building by expanding with a larger sprung structure encompassing the original building. Phase II of the project will be to construct a permanent hotel and casino, with a grand opening date set for mid-2012. The casino’s 7,700-square-foot gaming space will feature 700 gaming machines.
The industry is big business and the most recent Indian gaming statistics, provided by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), indicate that there are approximately 400 Native American gaming establishments in the United States. These casinos are operated by approximately 220 federally recognized tribes. The revenues generated in these establishments are close to $18.5 billion.
Parsons has worked with more than 20 Native America Tribes and is proud to serve and support the National Indian Gaming Association.
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