At least 22 people lost their jobs Monday when the Kaibab Paiute Indian tribe in northern Arizona shut down its casino, perhaps for good.
The tribal council said in a statement that it was suspending operations for at least the off-season at the Pipe Springs Casino, about 10 miles west of Fredonia, near the Utah border.It has not yet been decided whether the casino will open after the winter, said Angelita Bulletts, tribal administrator for the Kaibab band of the Paiute Indian tribe.
"That`s open to anybody's guess," Bulletts said. "We haven't even gotten that far."
The financially troubled casino also will settle several debts Tuesday when it is scheduled to have slot machines picked up.
The 3-year-old casino owes the Arizona Department of Gaming $50,183 in annual fees, said Neil LaBarge, deputy director of the state gaming agency. Tribes under the Arizona gaming compact pay $500 annually for each slot-type machine.
Pipe Springs, which has 83 machines, had made partial payments. LaBarge said the gaming department wants the fees paid before the casino reopens.
LaBarge said the closure was a mutual decision and resulted from eight months of talks.
The Kaibab band of the Paiute tribe has almost 270 members, with 125 living on the reservation surrounding Pipe Springs National Monument.