As a federally recognized Native American tribe, Choctaw Nation prides itself on preserving and celebrating its many unique traditions. It focuses on passing these traditions down to newer generations and sharing it with everyone, from its distinctive language to its historical games (like stickball), native dances and artwork.

With a strong group of female leadership, Choctaw Nation has exciting things in store, including a large expansion of its flagship Durant, Oklahoma property in the spring of 2021. We caught up with Erica Kosemund, Senior Corporate Director of Marketing, to learn more about what makes Choctaw Nation unique, her advice to those just staring their careers in the gaming industry, her favorite part about G2E and more.

Can you give a brief overview of your career and what let you to where you are today?
Since college, I’ve always worked in marketing for tribal entities. I started my career with the Chickasaw Nation where I worked at a property and at their Commerce Division. I was with them for over ten years. I learned the ins and outs of tribal gaming and grew a passion for our industry. I have been with Choctaw in this role for three years now. Gaming is always changing and evolving, and marketing has to keep up with those trends. It allows me to continuously grow, learn and work in a fast paced setting which I enjoy.

Describe your day in numbers.
If I sent you the number of text messages I sent in a day I’d embarrass myself. We work in the world of communication. Choctaw has 22 properties – there’s always somewhere to go, someone to talk to and something new to take on. This means lots of miles, lots of meetings and lots of words.

What can you tell us about Choctaw Nation and what makes it unique?
We have strong core group of female leadership – both of my leaders are female. They bring a unique perspective and attention to detail, and they drive the work that makes us unique. We operate all of our tribal services and our operations out of the same 500,000 square foot headquarters, which allows us to bring efficiencies to both services and associates.

What is your favorite part of your job and why?
The relationships that are built both inside and outside of the industry and the work that we do to constantly evolve and build the brand of Choctaw Casinos and Resorts.

What’s in store for your property in the future?
Our flagship property in Durant, Oklahoma is currently under expansion – in spring 2021 we are adding 1,000 hotel rooms in a 19 story tower, 3,400 slots, 34 poker tables in a new poker room, 40 table games, several new Restaurants, two new movie cinema screens, three acres of resort pools, 3,200 in additional parking and most importantly, an additional 1,200 jobs to the area.

What is your favorite piece of advice to give gaming industry professionals early in their career?
Say “yes” to opportunities and offer to help and learn wherever you can. The more exposure you can have to departments and skills the better you will be. Don’t be afraid to take on a challenge, if someone asks you to participate they may see something in you, you may not even see in yourself yet. Embrace that and learn from every experience.

What are the top three trends you see leading the transformation of the gaming industry?
Sports Betting, Digital and Mobile Transformation, and I have a personal passion for the role that social and influencer marketing plays in generating new and exciting content and exposure.

What are your most memorable moments from a G2E show?
Always catching up with partners and friends and seeing what’s new on the technology front.

What was your favorite part about G2E 2019, and what were the most stand-out innovations or technologies from the show?
The GGW Kick Up your Heels fundraiser was in its 10th year and it was held at the Wynn. It was a very memorable event. I really liked seeing some of the new game features, like the wireless charging and the LED displays.

What are you most looking forward to at G2E 2020?
It seems to keep getting bigger and better and I feel like the education continues to also become more robust. The show is healthy and growing and I feel that everyone is focused on the continual growth of our industry which pushes each year of the show to better. One thing I really enjoy is support departments coming out to G2E and learning at the show. I know in the past few years our support services have made a dedicated effort to come to the show and learn the business to better support the operators.

Learn more about Choctaw Nation here.
Pre-register for G2E 2020 here.