The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has named Chief Tammy Cook-Searson as the new chair of its board of directors.

Cook-Searson, who is in her 20th year as Chief of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, has been on SIGA’s board since 2018 and has been both a regular member and part of SIGA’s Audit & Finance Committee.

She replaces outgoing chair Reginald Bellerose, the former Chief of Muskowekwan First Nation who has sat in the SIGA chair’s seat for more than a decade since February 2015.

SIGA reports better-than-expected profits

SIGA operates Saskatchewan’s only regulated online gambling platform, PlayNow.com. It also runs seven land-based casinos in the province: Dakota Dunes Resort & Casino, Northern Lights Casino, Gold Eagle Casino, Living Sky Casino, Painted Hand Casino, Bear Claw Casino and Gold Horse Casino.

In March, the Saskatchewan government confirmed that the province’s First Nations and Métis organizations will receive an additional $12.5 million in gaming payments for the 2024-25 fiscal year. The government credited unexpectedly high profits from SIGA casinos and the province’s PlayNow.com online gaming platform as a big reason for the surplus.

Via SIGA’s profit-sharing model, 50% of net profits from SIGA casino gaming go to the First Nations Trust, which distributes the money to the province’s 74 First Nations. Another 25% goes to Community Development Corporations, which distribute funds for economic development, community infrastructure development, justice initiatives and more. The rest goes into the provincial government’s General Revenue Fund.

Last year, the non-profit SIGA reported record-breaking profits for the second year in a row, taking $346.6 million in gross revenue and a final distribution of income of $138.8 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year ended March 31, 2024. Those were both new record marks. PlayNow yielded $19.1 million of the 2023-24 gaming revenue.

SIGA is looking to cement its omnichannel gaming opportunity in the province through continual upgrades. Last fall, it launched a new loyalty program, SIGA Rewards, which offers a four-tiered benefits structure available on a new mobile app and website. Members can check their tier status, participate in social tournaments and receive tailored offers.

Elsewhere in recent Saskatchewan casino news, Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) confirmed to Canadian Gaming Business last week that the province has lifted the tariff-prompted prohibition on casinos purchasing certain equipment from U.S. suppliers.