DuGue Zion (Zion & Zion)
For Immediate Release
TOHONO O’ODHAM NATION TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND GAMING OPERATIONSAction taken to Slow COVID‐19 Pandemic, Support Community Health
TUCSON, Ariz. ‐‐ Leaders of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise
(TOGE) have made the decision to suspend their gaming operations temporarily. All Desert Diamond Casino properties will close beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. As a responsible community partner, TOGE is taking this precautionary measure to assist public health efforts to slow the spread of the COVID‐19 coronavirus pandemic.
The closure will impact all four of the Nation’s Desert Diamond Casinos near Tucson, Sahuarita, Why, (Ajo) and the West Valley, in Glendale, AZ. Throughout this time, the Nation and TOGE will be
monitoring health updates and coordinating communications on new developments.
Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris, Jr. said “In this unprecedented time, it is our duty to protect the community and collective action is needed to slow this virus. We are all in this together and I am proud to be a part of the vital AZ Tribal Gaming community, which employs thousands of workers. I commend the other tribal casinos who are also making tough decisions for their own communities as well. It is in moments like these that our communities must rise to the challenge by relying on the shared values of compassion, collaboration, and generosity that have inspired us for generations.”
With direction from the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise Management Board of Directors Rudy
Prieto, CEO of the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said “This action is being taken to protect the safety of our team members, guests, and the community. We will do everything we can to support our team members, including ensuring that they continue to be compensated during the planned closure. It is important that we all do our part in this uncertain time and we want to thank our guests and Desert Diamond family for their patience and understanding.”
Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, with three locations in Southern Arizona (Tucson, Sahuarita, and Why) and one in the West Valley in Glendale, AZ, is owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, an enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Additional information can be found at www.ddcaz.com or by calling 866‐DDC‐WINS. Follow Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment on Twitter (@DiamondCasinos), Facebook (@DDCAZ), and Instagram (@DiamondCasinos).
Casino del Sol and Casino of the Sun, both run by the Pascua Yaqui tribe, temporarily closed yesterday.
"We believe a temporary closure is the right thing to do in order to help reduce the impact of the virus in our community," CEO Kimberly van Amburg said in a letter.
Amburg's full letter after the jump.
Dear valued guests,
As we continue to navigate the evolving situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Casino Del Sol have made the decision to temporarily close both Casino Del Sol and Casino of the Sun beginning Wednesday, March 18 at 5:00 p.m. through Monday, April 13 at 8:00 a.m. This closure will include Casino Del Sol, Casino of the Sun, the Resort, Estrella at Casino Del Sol, AVA Amphitheater and Sewailo Golf Club.
We are taking these steps because our priority is our community – our team members, our guests, and the wider community of Tucson and the entire State of Arizona. We believe a temporary closure is the right thing to do in order to help reduce the impact of the virus in our community.
During this time Casino Del Sol will compensate our team members without requiring them to use their paid time off. We are recommending to team members that while the properties are closed, they should follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and public health experts regarding social distancing and avoiding crowds, keeping in mind that that guidance may also change and evolve over time.
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe and Casino Del Sol will continue to closely monitor the situation and will keep you updated on our plans moving forward, should they change.
We appreciate your support, and we appreciate you. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Van Amburg
Chief Executive Officer
Casino Del Sol
Original Story:
Desert Diamond and Casino del Sol remain open in light of COVID-19, but some upcoming events have been canceled.
Tucson's Biggest Yard Sale and the All German Car Show have been canceled out of Desert Diamond, but do not make mention of COVID-19. As of this writing, Desert Diamond says the Terry Fator show that is scheduled out of Sahuarita Saturday, March 14, is still happening.
None of the events out of Casino del Sol appear to be canceled or postponed, but they have released a statement regarding extra measures they're taking:
Dear Valued Guests,
As concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue and even escalate, we want to assure you that the health and safety of our guests and employees is our primary focus. Rest assured we are taking the necessary steps to ensure a safe environment for all.
We spend hundreds of hours cleaning our properties each day, and we have added additional efforts to our overnight cleaning and sanitizing procedures. We currently utilize a hospital-grade disinfectant and have expanded the use of this disinfectant throughout the properties to include nightly treatment of areas including restrooms, cage areas, food and beverage areas, gaming areas (including machines and tables), Club Sol desks, ATMs and kiosks, and hotel front desk and lobby areas. We are also expanding sanitization efforts in areas utilized by our incredible team members, including break rooms, restrooms and locker/changing areas. The hospital-grade disinfectant is also being used in our guest rooms.
We have communicated with our team members regarding recommended steps to take to reduce the likelihood of infection. In doing that, we relied on recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other public health experts. We have also scheduled four staff member informational sessions that will take place this week. In those sessions we will talk about those recommendations, the precautionary steps we are taking, and we will answer employee questions.
We are tracking the news multiple times a day, we are following recommendations from the CDC, and we are in touch with local public health experts. We will continue to closely monitor this evolving situation and how it affects our immediate community. As new information emerges, we will communicate any changes to our plans moving forward.
We appreciate your confidence in us as we navigate this situation. As always, it is our top priority to ensure the health and safety of our guests and employees.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Van Amburg
CEO Casino Del Sol
UPDATE 3/16/2020:
We received this update regarding AVA from Kimberly Van Amburg, CEO of Casino Del Sol:
March 16, 2020
Dear AVA Guests,
At this time, for the safety of our guests and employees, we have made the decision to postpone our concerts that were scheduled in April.
Through discussions with the artists and artist management, we made this choice out of an abundance of caution as we navigate the current situation surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Voz De Mando, Ana Barbara, Chiquis and Enigma Norteno show has been rescheduled to Sept. 5. We are refunding all tickets purchased for the April 18 show. Credit card purchases will be automatically refunded, and cash purchases will be refunded at the Casino Gift Shop with your receipt and order number. Tickets for the new date will go on sale Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m.
We are working to reschedule the ZZ Top show that was originally scheduled for April 24 and will keep you informed when the new date is determined. We are refunding all lawn tickets purchased. Credit card purchases will be automatically refunded, and cash purchases will be refunded at the Casino Gift Shop.
Those who purchased reserved seat tickets for ZZ Top will have the option to hold onto their ticket to exchange it for a reserved seat at the future show. To receive a full refund on a credit card purchase please email refunds@avaconcerts.com with your order number and name of the person who purchased the tickets. For cash refunds please visit the Casino Gift Shop.
We will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation and will make a decision about concerts scheduled in May in the coming weeks.
As always, it is our top priority to ensure the health and safety of our guests and employees. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and we thank you for understanding.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Van Amburg
CEO
Casino Del Sol
Updates as events warrant.