SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority said that 50 per cent of its net gaming revenue flows through the First Nations Trust to its 74 shareholder First Nations, which will then fund their priorities and communities.
SIGA director of communications and media relations Alana Adamko said its First Nations shareholders will decide to direct those funds toward their priorities, such as housing, infrastructure, education and social programs.
SIGA reached a new milestone for its 2025-26 fiscal year, April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, with a record $167 million in income, generated from a record-breaking $418 million in gross revenue. It was the fourth straight year of record-breaking profits for the seven casinos under SIGA.
Adamko said the record distribution will be felt across the province, with the funding reaching communities through several channels, including the provincial government, First Nations and Community Development Corporations.
Twenty-five per cent of this year’s net income, $41.75 million, goes to the provincial General Revenue Fund, which supports health care, education and services for Saskatchewan residents, while 50 per cent goes to the First Nations Trust for SIGA’s 74 shareholder First Nations.
The remaining 25 per cent goes to the CDCs, the community and philanthropic arms of SIGA’s casinos, which fund local projects in the communities where they operate. Since SIGA's inception, more than $1.9 billion has been returned to First Nations communities, CDCs and the province.
Adamko cited the Dakota Dunes CDC as an example, as the organization, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has contributed more than $88 million to grassroots initiatives across Saskatchewan, funding more than 5,100 projects and sponsoring more than 2,500 events.
SIGA added that, aside from CDC funding contributions, it also has its own Community Investment Program, which contributed $1.89 million to organizations across Saskatchewan over the past year through initiatives focused on health, youth, education and community well-being.
Among the projects funded were $375,000 for the Equip the Vic Boreal Healthcare Foundation in Prince Albert, $125,000 for the Tony Cote First Nations Winter Games, $120,000 for wildfire evacuee support and $100,000 for the By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign at St. Paul's Hospital Foundation.
She said that SIGA supported more than 650 community partnerships across the province. At the same time, employees contributed more than 5,700 volunteer hours, and the financial benefits continue to support First Nations communities directly through the First Nations Trust.
"Fifty per cent of net gaming revenue flows through the First Nations Trust to our 74 shareholder First Nations, who direct those funds toward priorities in their own communities, things like housing, infrastructure, education and social programs," she said.
Adamko also highlighted SIGA's role as a major employer, saying the organization has more than 1,700 workers across its eight sites, with 63 per cent of employees identifying as First Nations. SIGA has also been recognized as one of the province’s top employers for three straight years.
SIGA hired 520 employees this year after attending 70 recruitment events and invested $1.4 million in staff training and development. The organization also has expansion projects that would create new employment opportunities for people in Saskatchewan.
She cited the first phase of the Dakota Dunes Casino expansion, which created 30 permanent jobs. In comparison, the planned $100-million Gold Eagle Casino and Resort project in North Battleford is expected to generate approximately 350 construction jobs and 400 permanent positions once completed.
