Cherokee Nation Businesses reports lower gaming revenue, stronger bottom line and $1 billion in contract wins

Chuck Gehr, chief executive officer of Cherokee Nation Businesses, told the Cherokee Nation Executive and Finance Committee on May 29 that April gaming revenue was down from prior expectations but the division’s bottom line improved after aggressive expense management.

Gehr said consumer confidence — both in Oklahoma and nationally — remains low and that lower discretionary spending has affected the Nation’s gaming operations. "What we saw in our gaming business was, revenues down, but bottom line up," Gehr said. "So we're, managing our business aggressively, managing expenses aggressively." He added that operating costs have not risen meaningfully, which has helped protect margins.

Gehr also reported a milestone in federal contracting: the businesses crossed the $1 billion mark in contract wins that day. "We crossed the billion dollar threshold for for contract wins," he said, noting the pace of awards has slowed as federal agencies reassess priorities.

Gehr updated the committee on employment within Cherokee Nation Businesses, saying the organization has about 9,750 employees, roughly 3,800 of whom are eligible for preference, with about 68% of preference-eligible positions held by Native employees and about 60–61% held by Cherokee employees. He said those figures reflect ongoing recruitment and retention efforts.

Gehr gave a brief update on litigation in the Eastern District of Arkansas, saying he expected the judge to take time to analyze the issues and that there was no forced deadline for a decision. The presentation concluded without questions from the committee.

The report was delivered during the Executive and Finance Committee session; the committee did not record formal action tied to Gehr’s report.