Nez Perce Casinos Net $2.5 Million Tribe Discusses What To Do With Revenue Of Past 6 Months

The Nez Perce Tribe seems to have a financial winner with its two casinos, netting nearly $2.5 million over the past six months.

How to use that money was on everyone’s mind Friday at the tribe’s General Council meeting.

But most of what was said was behind closed doors, with non-tribal members excluded for most of the session.

An income statement shows profits of $2.2 million at the Clearwater River Casino near Lewiston in the six months ending March 31.

The smaller It’s-Ye-Ye Bingo & Casino in Kamiah brought in $213,092 for the same period.

Gaming obviously is the most profitable of all tribal enterprises. The total net from all its businesses over six months - including two convenience stores, forest products and limestone operations - was $2.89 million.

“The big question is how we’re going to distribute the net revenues from the casinos,” said Jaime Pinkham, Tribal Executive Committee treasurer.

“We now have a general idea of what we’re capable of doing in one year,” so it is time to make an allocation plan, he said.

Pinkham pointed out the figures do not include payment on start-up costs.

Tribal members were given surveys to indicate their choices for gaming revenue distribution.

Under federal law, the money can only be used to fund tribal government operations and members’ welfare, economic development, charitable groups or operations of local governments.

Among the many choices listed were rights protection, senior citizens, youth, education, a community center, land acquisition, start-up capital for new businesses, emergency services or per-capita payments, which are distributed among tribal members.

Pinkham said nothing was decided. A motion was made in open session to make equal distribution to all items on the list, but failed for lack of a second.

About 220 people work in the two casinos.