Spotlight on California

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Spotlight on California This month we spoke with our distinguished panel of tribal leaders about their formulas for success, their plans for future growth in gaming as well as other business ventures.

com While we are fortunate that our Chumash Casino Resort is located just over two hours from the giant metropolis of Los Angeles, it s not location alone that contributes to our success.

1 Spotlight on California This month we spoke with our distinguished panel of tribal leaders about their formulas for success, their plans for future growth in gaming as well as other business ventures. Here is what they had to say Chairman Vincent Armenta Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, CA While we are fortunate that our Chumash Casino Resort is located just over two hours from the giant metropolis of Los Angeles, it s not location alone that contributes to our success. The winning formula to our tribe s success in gaming is due to a combination of our dedicated employees and understanding our guests. We take tremendous pride in Vincent Armenta ensuring that our employees are happy. In addition to a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, we offer other advantages such as free transportation, an opportunity to participate in the community through Team Chumash and a family-oriented culture. The results of our commitment to our employees shows in the tenure of our 1,700 employees. The average length of employment for our employees is far above the national average, including nearly two dozen legacy employees who have been with our tribe since we first opened the doors to our casino in Another contributing factor to our success is our dedication to our guests. We conduct research studies and continually speak with our guests to learn what they want in an entertainment destination. Whether it s specific games on the floor, a certain type of food in our restaurants or fine-tuning our players club, we listen to our guests and continually search for ways to meet and exceed their needs. As a result, we have extremely loyal guests. We are in the process of a major casino expansion project right now that will take our Chumash Casino Resort to a new level. When completed in 2016, we will have a significantly improved and updated property. Our gaming floor will be larger, offering our guests more elbow room on busy weekends and more gaming options. We will also have more food and beverage selections, including a new food court and three remodeled restaurants: Willows, the Buffet and Chumash Café. We are building a hotel tower that will provide us with more than 200 additional hotel rooms. In addition, we are remodeling our spa and once it s completed, it will be world-class. Along with those physical improvements will come a higher level of customer service through our guest loyalty club program, which we have renamed Indulge. The name says it all we are committed to pamper, treat, spoil and indulge our guests. We are looking forward to the completion of our expansion later this year, and we know it will definitely help us rise to a new level. As far as expansion in other areas of our tribe, we are always searching for ways we can expand our reach either in hospitality or other industries in order to continue to build a solid economic foundation for future generations of Santa Ynez Chumash. Chairman Gerald Howard Bishop Paiute Tribe Paiute Palace Casino in Bishop, CA We are a small tribe in the Owens Valley, a rural area on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, in-between Reno, NV and Los Angeles. Around the turn of the century, the City of Los Angeles came into the valley and purchased the land and water rights, so private land holding is limited. The City of Los Angeles owns the valley floor and the Bureau Gerald Howard of Land Management and Forest Service control the rest. In that sense, we have limitations on what we can do with our small reservation, which is 875 acres. Our gaming operation is the focal point for the community throughout the year. We provide a festive atmosphere for our patrons on holidays and special occasions. The operation provides employment for tribal members and business opportunities for local vendors. We have been in operation for 20 years, and have 350 Class III gaming machines. The casino has always made a profit some years good and some years not so good. It's provided needed revenue for the tribe and employment opportunities for tribal members, with 144 employees and a little over 55% being tribal members. We do good things for the community, and because of that, we have the community s support. We've done well in that regard. The business can do better because there are many recreational activities in the surrounding area. To the south is Death Valley National Park; to our northwest is Yosemite 16 Indian Gaming February 2016

National Park; and about 45 minutes away is Mammoth Mountain Ski area. People come and they use the recreational activities for fishing, hunting, climbing and hiking.

We've been looking to expand and upgrade our casino operation because currently we just have a casino and a small restaurant.

2 National Park; and about 45 minutes away is Mammoth Mountain Ski area. People come and they use the recreational activities for fishing, hunting, climbing and hiking. This tourist element fuels the local community. We are looking at trying to better tap into that market. We've been looking to expand and upgrade our casino operation because currently we just have a casino and a small restaurant. What we'd like to do is enlarge the gaming floor, add a larger restaurant, provide meeting space, and possibly add a 60-room hotel. Being right on US 395, the main highway that links Los Angeles to Reno and elsewhere, millions of people travel the road every year. We feel that if we can provide a better, more attractive operation, more appealing to the tourist market, they will be willing to stay, eat and gamble. It s going to be a winning formula for us in the future. Next to our casino, we also have a gas station and convenience store. Business does very well. It's a small operation, and we see opportunities to expand because we miss out on business since we are often crowded. In the near future, we're looking at working on those projects. Chairman Robert Martin Morongo Band of Mission Indians Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, CA The Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa is the leader in the integrated resort model, and we work very hard to provide our guests with the absolute best experience through a mixture of world-class entertainment, fine dining, resort-style spa services, championship golf and access to premium shopping. Our towering 27-story resort remains the tallest building in Riverside County and a destination for Robert Martin our guests, whether they re looking for thrilling gaming action, to dance the night away, relax by a pool with a sandy beach and private cabanas or see a sellout show by such entertainers as Jay Leno, Florida Georgia Line or Melissa Etheridge. Recently, Yahoo Travel ranked Morongo as Southern California s best casino, and one of the nation s top casinos. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our staff and to the innovation and vision driving our operations. In some ways, it s all very humbling when we think of the small bingo hall we first opened in the 1980s. Nearly 30 years have passed since the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and our neighbors at the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians worked together to secure the 1987 U.S. Supreme Court decision confirming that tribes, as sovereign nations, have the right to offer gaming. That landmark decision provided tribes across the nation with a pathway to self-reliance and new economic opportunities that brought advancements in education, social services, infrastructure, housing and healthcare to Indian Country. Today, just like 1987, Morongo continues to look to the future. We recently christened our new High Limit Gaming Room with a star-studded red carpet gala. From a premium freepour bar to our first-ever premium tea service, this lavish new space caters to guests who prefer high stakes wagering. The High Limit Room is elegant, exciting and truly unique, and our guests absolutely love it. We are moving forward on a master-planned development around the casino to expand our retail, hospitality and servicerelated capabilities. In recent years, that project welcomed the first In-N-Out Burger ever on tribal lands, as well as the first tribally-owned Taco Bell in the nation. The new year marked the opening of the new flagship store of the tribally-owned Hadley Fruit Orchards, the roadside institution that has nourished and charmed generations of desert travelers with its delicious date shakes, nuts and dried fruit. For Morongo, the journey continues as we continue to grow to meet and exceed the expectations of our guests. We have experienced tremendous growth over the past 30 years, and we expect that success to persist far into the future as we continue to innovate and unveil exciting new plans for our resort and business holdings. Chairman Cody Martinez Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation Sycuan in El Cajon, CA After 32 years of gaming success in San Diego, Sycuan is proud to be recognized as an original San Diego Indian gaming icon. We are known in the region for not only a great gaming experience, but also a broad recognition as a community partner supporting thousands of charities over the last three decades. Our overall strategy has always been to Cody Martinez listen to our guests, team members and the community in general to continually refine and improve the Sycuan experience and build lasting relationships. For our guests, we use their feedback as a tool to improve their experience while at the casino, and research shows this sincerity is recognized in the marketplace. We reinvest in technologies and cutting edge products to maximize the entertainment value for the Sycuan guest, including our mix of games on the floor and homegrown developments such as our mobile app. We established industry leading innovations for the San Diego market to address negative feedback including recent examples of building the largest non-smoking gaming 18 Indian Gaming February 2016

Komen Race for the Cure for the past several years and donate a share of profits from our Gameday Sports Bar to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

3 area as well as offering the best cash back rate through our Club Sycuan loyalty player program. With regard to the community, we understand that we are a locally driven business. We embrace San Diego and truly care about its well-being. We work with over 700 local charities and organizations annually. We ve had the largest teams nationally in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for the past several years and donate a share of profits from our Gameday Sports Bar to the Challenged Athletes Foundation. With regard to our team members, we understand they are one of the biggest assets that help make us successful, so we put steps in place to foster a positive work environment and invest in their growth. We are always carefully examining the competitive landscape and industry trends to make sure we are on the leading edge. We are taking a short term, intermediate and long term look at what makes sense for the tribe. Nothing is off the table at this point. This includes potential expansion of our gaming floor, evaluation of food and beverage venues, entertainment space, and perhaps a few other surprises. The Sycuan Tribe is also keen to expand its business holdings outside gaming, which began in 2001 with the acquisition of the former Singing Hills golf resort, and purchasing and renovating the historic US Grant hotel in 2005, which is also planning another upgrade beginning this year. Sycuan has also invested in a number of other real estate and hospitality projects around the San Diego region. There is potential to search out other development opportunities, however there is more work to do building the reservation economy, which may include a convenience store, eco-tourism projects and RV park. Chairman Bo Mazzetti Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians Harrah s Resort Southern California in Valley Center, CA From the day the Rincon Band opened Harrah s casino, our people our employees have been our formula for success. Harrah s Resort Southern California is now San Diego County s second largest resort thanks to their dedication and contributions. A positive work environment, strong team building and participation, respect and appreciation, all transfer to our employees desires to add value to our guest Bo Mazzetti experiences value that brings our guests coming back time again. The second most important asset has been our conservative financial policies benefits received from Harrah s sophisticated and ongoing studies of the changing trends in gaming and consumer forecasts. The expertise and experience of our management partners, HCAL, LLC, a Caesars License Company, has helped avoid the common industry mistakes, and plan, test, and implement programs grounded in sound economic research, analysis and industry projections. The international rewards club provides a large guest base, and source of feedback that increases our ability to predict and deliver and test new forms of entertainment, diversified recreational programs and other amenities people are seeking. Two years ago, a $160 million expansion brought a new wing of suites and conference space. The expansion added a modern, popular resort orientation and new non-gaming activities to the property. Based on our successful model, we are already looking to update and refresh older areas of the property, and enhance the dining and other group experiences, including our name brand own brewery. Meanwhile, the Rincon tribal government plans to open a recreational vehicle park, and add some light manufacturing to the four investment companies we currently own. In 2016, we are looking forward to the opportunities and challenges facing our industry and a high economic tide that raises all bets in Indian gaming. Chairman Jack Potter, Jr. Redding Rancheria Win-River Resort & Casino in Redding, CA When our elders first talked about getting into gaming, they felt it was important our tribal members hold key management positions in the business. Unlike many tribes that have a management company running the casino, our tribe said, No, let s have one person come in to train our members. Within 18 months we Jack Potter, Jr. were outside of that contract, had paid the management company back in full, and our members were running the show. We ve successfully completed our 10-year plan. We've had three so far the first was Future Search, and then came Vision Quest. This year we had Visions of the Future, where we involved citizens from the surrounding community, such as elected officials in the city and county, elected officials from the tribe, and general tribal members. In total, there were about 150 people. We got together to discuss where the group would like to see the tribe headed in the future. I believe this is one of the reasons why we ve been successful we ve encouraged community involvement. Members of the community don t have to wonder, What are they doing? They know what we're doing, and they know what we're looking to do in the future. One of our goals that came out of Visions of the Future was February 2016 Indian Gaming 19

4 to increase the self-reliance and economic security of our tribe by continuing to develop and diversify our economic base. The objective was to create a master plan for all of our tribal land, research the tribe s water rights, and also develop the tribe s property on the I-5 corridor. We recently took over the management of our Hilton Garden Inn, and we are now getting better ratings since we ve held these positions. Today, we have two successful hotels, two health centers, a minimart, and our Economic Development Corporation. Recently there was a need in Shasta County when 6,000 people with Medi-Cal weren't being accepted for care. They had no doctor to go to. In response, we opened Churn Creek Healthcare for Partnership HealthPlan of California in order to help serve these people. We provided a service where there was a need. I believe doing things like this within our community is why we have local support. Ever since gaming, I've seen our tribal members hold their heads higher. We re really changing lives. We believe, to be truly self-sufficient, home ownership is crucial, so we created a home equity program. We also created a small business grant program for tribal members. This has allowed tribal members to venture into law and service, photography, and Indian arts and craft. About 60 tribal members have taken advantage of this opportunity so far. We're a little tribe, but we stand firm. I see some tribes that are being taken advantage of. I understand they want to have economic development for their nation, but they don't have to grab the first loan that comes their way, especially loans that are so restrictive to the point where they can't get out from under them. We go to our general membership on issues often. The council never tries to make a move on issues that are going to affect the day-to-day lives of our tribal members. Instead, we involve them. It takes us a few years sometimes, but our tribe gets things done. We are forward thinking and aren t afraid to try new things. We were the first tribe to try nonsmoking. We did it for a year, but it wasn't panning out, so, we weren't too embarrassed to say, All right, we're going back to smoking. It's not the right time now, but may be in the future. At least we tried. Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena San Manuel Band of Mission Indians San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in Highland, CA As an economic enterprise of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino has always linked the success of our gaming venue to premium customer service and providing the best in gaming and entertainment options for our guests. This has been our highest priority since we opened the doors to our first bingo hall 30 years ago in There has been a sea of change in California since 1986 with regard to the gaming policy landscape where, with significant voter support for a constitutional amendment, Indian tribes have secured an exclusive right to Class III or Las Vegas style gaming in the state. As a result, Indian gaming in the Golden State has grown from simple Lynn Valbuena bingo halls with many operating in temporary structures in those early days, to compacted Class III gaming today conducted in some of the world's most impressive and attractive brick-andmortar facilities that rival those in more established gaming markets. We are continually monitoring the evolving local, regional, national and international gaming markets and trends to stay current with patron needs and interests. As one example, we established San Manuel Digital in 2014 to explore opportunities to bridge the online gaming market with our existing customer base at our gaming property. In November 2015, we launched our Simulated Gaming online experience that has opened the doors to exciting opportunities to engage new patrons across California, and new online-only players nationally and internationally. Our pledge to continue exploring and developing ways to grow into expanded gaming markets, as well as adding to positive gaming and entertainment experiences for our guests, remains firmly in place. Among the most important and basic responsibilities for a tribal government is to plan for the long term viability of its community and its citizenry. Preserving our tribal cultures and protecting our governmental and political sovereignty are fundamental obligations. Carrying out these obligations requires the tribal government to secure appropriate resources and to prepare a plan to meet these responsibilities. We are always seeking ways to create new and diverse governmental revenue sources so we can meet our community obligations. We have a wonderful staff of professionals who are constantly at work developing strategies for expansion and growth, which are consistent with our tribal goals and objectives, and include gaming and non-gaming opportunities. San Manuel is in a challenging land situation with less than a 1,000 acre reservation land base, most of which is located along the steep foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California. Consequently, our past efforts have been mostly with off-reservation economic developments, including real estate, hospitality, and mixed-use commercial projects. Today, we are expanding our outlook to include opportunities in interactive gaming with the launch of our Simulated Gaming online experience designed to engage new patrons 20 Indian Gaming February 2016

Chairman Charles Wood Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Havasu Landing Resort & Casino in Havasu Lake, CA www.havasulanding.

5 across the state as well as new online-only players nationally and internationally. We have a deep commitment to the future of our San Manuel community and will continue to develop ways to ensure that we have the resources needed to preserve our Indian Nation. Chairman Charles Wood Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Havasu Landing Resort & Casino in Havasu Lake, CA We are situated on the shore of Lake Havasu, which separates California and Arizona. As far as our customer base in the summer, it's people seeking recreation on the lake; and in the winter it's people enjoying recreation in the desert, with activities such as off-roading. Even though we're very remote, people will always come to the lake for recreation, so that's one of our great draws. We also operate a ferryboat that transports 350,000 people per year from Arizona to our side of the lake. Right now, we re in the process of expanding. We will be building a brand new casino, and we're going to be including a fortyeight-room hotel. That's really going to change things for us. This is in process and we've already done some land leveling. We'll also be including a brand new, 110-slip marina, to go along with that, and we're in negotiations for a health spa. We have a brand new 11,000 sq. ft. store, which has been huge for us. Before the store, people coming to visit would stop in Needles or Parker with their huge ice chests and fill Charles Wood them up there. Now they can come directly to our store, know that we have competitive prices, and everything they need. A casino doesn't do anything unless it feeds other enterprises. Those are the types of things that it's made possible for us to accomplish. You have to look at the different pieces that can be put together. These are not stand alone elements you need the pieces that complement each other, so that people, when they do come, know that they're going to be able to get full service rather than just a gaming experience, per se. Gaming impacts all tribes in different ways. It's allowed us to do certain things that were always dreams, and turned those dreams into realities. February 2016 Indian Gaming 21

Vice President of Philanthropy Las Vegas, NV

Vice President of Philanthropy Las Vegas, NV Helping people with disabilities realize their dreams 1 The Mission Opportunity Village was founded in 1954 by a small group of dedicated and loving families