Q&A with Laura Stensgar, Coeur d’Alene Casino, Chief Executive Officer
You’ve got to believe that everyone had their eyes on Coeur d’Alene Casino this past week. The casino had a soft opening on Monday, April 27 and a grand re-opening on May 1.
Located in Northern Idaho, they have a 300-room hotel and their gaming floor hosts more than 1,300 slot machines. Their guest profile changes slightly during the summer months as there are quite a few snow birds that return and more tourists. 78% of their guests are from the Eastern Washington and North Idaho region.
Per their press release of April 23, neither the Coeur d’Alene Reservation nor Benewah County have had any confirmed COVID-19 cases to date. Chairman Stensgar was quoted, “Based on local trends and the consistently low number of confirmed cases in the region, we believe we can safely start to reopen the reservation. Protecting lives and protecting livelihoods don’t have to be mutually exclusive. We have a plan that we believe can do both and frankly, it is time to take action.”
We are so thankful to our longtime friend and client Laura Stensgar, the CEO of Coeur d’Alene Casino, for agreeing to share with all of our readers what it has been like opening up in this historic time for our nation. It’s through collaboration and sharing that we can help our industry find the answers and you and your Tribe have taken the lead. ALL eyes are on you and the lessons you’re learning, thank you.
