WHAT IS THE GRA?
By VIVIAN LaMOORE, STAFF WRITER
Minnesota is home to 40 tribal casino gaming operations with an economic impact of $3.72 billion supporting over 29,000 jobs providing $516.4 million in tax revenue and tribal revenue share payments annually for all levels of government, according to the American Gaming Association. Revenues from Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Hinckley have helped the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe build and improve schools, health care facilities, community centers, a water treatment facility, roads, ceremonial buildings, and more. Millions of dollars have also been donated to food shelves, schools, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations that serve the entire community. Protecting the integrity of gaming for the Mille Lacs Band is a huge responsibility. That responsibility lies in the hands of the Gaming Regulatory Authority (GRA).
“Casino revenue is our largest revenue stream, and we are here to protect it,” said Teresa Kozumplik, Executive Director of the Office of Gaming Regulation and Compliance (OGRC). “We are here to make sure that this business is done right so it is available to our kids and our kids' kids.”
Responsible gaming is a priority for Grand Casino. It is important to explain that the Indian casinos are regulated by the tribal governments of the land where the casino is built, federal statutes, the Interior Department, the National Indian Gaming Commission, and the tribal-state gaming compacts. Casinos are regulated and monitored at an extremely high level and must meet federal regulations and requirements of Indian Gaming Regulation Act (IGRA), National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen), and State Compacts. It is the responsibility of the GRA to ensure all regulations and requirements are met to protect the revenue stream, protect the casino guests to ensure their entertainment and safety, and protect the associates of Grand Casinos.
Overall, there are currently 57 employees in the GRA, not including the five board members. Board members are Susan Klapel, chair, Crystal Wickert, vice chair, Mick Davis, treasurer, Jim Kalk, board member, and one vacant position.
One of the responsibilities of the GRA is to review job descriptions and applicants, and approve them for the gaming enterprise. This includes performing background checks for all potential associates. There are various levels of state and federal requirements that must be met in order for individuals to gain licensure to work within the casino, and licensure can vary depending on the position one is applying for. “Licensing is as open as it can be,” Kozumplik said. “We look at everybody, everybody gets a chance. If someone can’t be licensed, we will work with them on other employment opportunities at another license level. There are more opportunities than people are aware of at Grand Casinos or the Non-Gaming Operations.”
The GRA does prioritize and encourage Band member employment at Grand Casino locations. Employees within GRA are licensed to the highest standard and held to a high standard ethically. “We routinely attend ethics classes to make sure we are walking the walk and not just talking the talk. We want people to know that this matters,” Kozumplik said. “We are proud to be working alongside two of the most dynamic gaming enterprises around, so we need to be at the top of our game to keep up and not hinder forward progress.”
Under the umbrella of the GRA are the departments of Surveillance, Licensing, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Administration.
Surveillance is a federal government requirement. “They are the eye in the sky,” Kozumplik said. The employees within that department are making sure games are being played right, making sure guests and associates are safe, looking for theft, and will work with security if they see something that is not right.
Licensing currently has five employees who perform backgrounding of casino associates, vendors, and vendor employees. “What that does is it helps us to know who is behind the house,” Kozumplik said. “They should all be people we know and trust.”
Compliance currently has four employees at each site who make sure the games are in order, test slot machines, test the card shufflers, monitor and test the software, and make sure all of the gaming is working as it should and also working closely with gaming departments. Guests can trust our games are held to the highest standards and are all closely monitored.
Internal audit also has four employees. They are required to perform federally required audits and observations to watch associates performing their jobs when they are doing said audits.
Administration currently has four employees who do all the communicating, budgets, attendance at Band Assembly, and dealing with the state and federal agencies.
The GRA puts a priority on Band member concerns, whether it is a waiver, licensing, exclusions, or reviews. They will have a GRA person at community meetings, available for questions and to let Band members know, “Hey, we are out here. We care,” Kozumplik said.
The GRA is proud of the accomplishments they have made over last year with Band Assembly. “We jointly worked on an update to gaming ordinance. It is near completion and a lot of effort went into it. That is a big achievement! We are really proud of that,” Kozumplik said.
The GRA is hopeful Band members will look for career opportunities at the GRA where there are many opportunities for advancement with career progression built into the department.
“We encourage Band members to call us with any questions about career opportunities or with any questions. It is better to ask than not ask,” Kozumplik said.
