Tribal casino reopening under new management

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2003 | 9:51 a.m.

GROVE, Okla. -- A gaming operation that closed three months ago will reopen Wednesday under a new name and new management.

The former Seneca-Cayuga Casino will now be known as the Grand Lake Casino, General Manager Rick Smith said.

An Arizona company owned by Marc Dunn will operate the casino, Smith said. Smith also works as general manager of the Quapaw Tribe's casino near Miami.

"We took over the Quapaw casino two years ago, and we're making them money," he said.

Many of the more than 160 employees who worked at the Seneca-Cayuga Casino lost their jobs when casino managers announced Oct. 22 that the facility would close.

Thirty-five of the employees were tribal members, officials said.

The ouster of casino manager Gracie Lockner and her decision to stay on the tribe's business council and manage the casino caused problems between her and the tribe, officials said.

Ninety former employees interviewed with the casino last week and 32 were rehired, Smith said.

The hiring process will continue as the management company re-evaluates staff needs after the casino reopens, he said.

The reopened casino will offer off-track betting, Megamania and rocket games. The casino also will offer blackjack and a new sports bar serving alcoholic beverages and equipped with 15 televisions airing multiple sporting events, officials said.

The casino also will include a full-service restaurant and a pool table area.

Paper bingo has been discontinued, officials said.