New officials named at Louisiana Indian casino

Thursday, March 23, 2000 | 4:54 a.m.

However, the tribe and the company which runs the casino both are keeping silent on the possibility.

Within the last two weeks, First Nation Gaming, a partner with the tribe in Grand Casino Avoyelles, appointed Dennis O'Brien as chief operating officer and Greg Strategier as chief financial officer.

Less than a year remains on a management deal with Grand Casino.

However, Tribal Chief Earl Barbry Sr. refused to comment on whether the contract will be renewed.

Officials with Lake Gaming, parent company of Grand Casino, also would not comment.

The casino employs more than 1,500 people and draws more than 2 million visitors a year.

Before it opened in 1994, Avoyelles parish's unemployment rate was 14 percent; it is now less than 8 percent.

A Louisiana State University economist says tourism brought the parish $18.1 million in 1998, a $2.8 million increase over the previous year. The tourism spending generated more than $2 million in payroll and $430,000 in local tax receipts.

Before the casino opened on June 3, 1994, tourism spending in Avoyelles was about $10 million a year.