Navajo Nation to reopen 2 casinos in northwestern part of New Mexico

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz – Two casinos on the Navajo Nation will reopen this week as the tribe eases its restrictions on businesses amid a downturn in coronavirus cases and high rates of vaccination.

The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise has four casinos but will open only two Friday and limit patrons to those who live on the vast reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

The enterprise will keep Fire Rock east of Gallup, New Mexico, and Northern Edge in Farmington, New Mexico, open for two weeks before determining whether to reopen two other casinos – one in northwestern New Mexico and the other east of Flagstaff.

“What it’s intended to do is demonstrate that all our safety protocols, which we know are very, very comprehensive, are in place, the program is going to work and keep everyone safe, and then we can open it to a broader audience later,” Brian Parrish, the enterprise’s interim chief executive, said Wednesday.

The casinos will operate at 25% capacity with no food or drink services and only within the time allowed by the tribe’s nightly curfew. All employees must test negative for COVID-19 before they return to work and be retested at least every two weeks.

Service lights on the slot machines will let customers request that the machines be sanitized.

Smoking will be allowed only in designated outdoor areas. Social distancing will be enforced throughout the properties.

The casinos also are setting aside a couple of hours on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for elderly patrons.

Customers must wear masks, get their temperatures checked and provide contact information if they needed to be reached later. Handheld devices will be used to swipe driver’s licenses to ensure customers live on the reservation, Parrish said. That policy is in accordance with tribal legislation that restricts non-resident travel on the reservation.

Jordan Schermerhorn, a senior research associate at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security, has been tracking pandemic response policies. She said the Navajo Nation has taken a more cautious approach than neighboring states in reopening with a stricter tiered system.