Casino creates job prospects for Reservation, border towns

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort put on a job fair March 20 at the Winslow Chamber of Commerce. The fair lasted all day and the parking lot was crowded during the entire 10 hours. Around 200 potential employees applied for some of the 1,600 positions expected to be filled at the casino, hotel and related operations.

Chief Operating Officer Raymond C. Etcitty said this was one of a series of job fairs put on to fill positions at the casino. The casino put on fairs in Dilcon, Leupp, Tuba City, and at Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University.

The fourth casino the Navajo Nation will open is Twin Arrows. The first was Fire Rock Casino near Gallup, N.M., which opened in 2008. Flowing Water Casino near Shiprock, N.M. opened in October of 2010. Northern Edge Casino near Farmington, N.M. opened in January of 2012. Twin Arrows is slated to open in May of this year.

Etcitty said the tribe plans to open its next casino near the Petrified Forest and that that casino should provide jobs and help the economy of Holbrook and Sanders as well as the reservation in that area.

Twin Arrows Casino will feature a thousand slot machines and as many as 50 gaming tables. There will be a four star hotel and a top quality restaurant and bar at the site. Twin arrows plans to add a travel center near the casino.

The Navajo Nation expects the casino to become a destination point for people from the Phoenix area and for travelers along I-40. The casino will likely be a boost to the economies of Flagstaff, Winslow, Holbrook, and Leupp and the Navajo Reservation.

Etcitty is Navajo, was born in Winslow, graduated from Moore, Oklahoma High School and has lived in Flagstaff, Holbrook and Bellemont. He said that the casino offers good opportunities for potential employees but that standards are high and licensing will be necessary. The interviewing process at the Winslow job fair took considerable time. He added that there will likely be a fairly high turnover of employees and that the casino will continue to provide job opportunities to area residents.

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