A view of the tradeshow floor from last year's Global Gaming Expo. Tribal casinos will be high on the agenda at the world's largest gaming conference in Las Vegas this week. The Global Gaming Expo, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. More than 30,000 people from over 100 countries are expected for the event, which draws a who's who of federal officials, Indian gaming leaders and tribal representatives. “For tribal gaming professionals who are looking to further their careers and their businesses, G2E is a must-attend event," said Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association. The $25 billion tribal casino industry gets its own track at G2E. Conference sessions, which start today, cover a wide range of timely and critical topics -- from Class II and Class III gaming to land-into-trust to the 2008 elections. Like last year, G2E has reserved the final keynote of the week for Indian gaming. Ernie Stevens Jr., the chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, will lead a panel discussion titled "Native Matters: Tribal Gaming Past, Present and Future." "Indian gaming continues to be an incredibly powerful economic development program for Indian country and is helping tribes from coast to coast move toward greater self-sufficiency and self-determination," said Stevens, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. "We enjoy attending G2E because it provides tribal gaming professionals with a variety of unique, customized resources and opportunities while also offering a view of the broader gaming marketplace. G2E helps tribal gaming professionals build and enhance the success of their gaming operations." Here's a peek at some of the week's events:
Monday, November 12
• Tribal Labor Relations: An Update - Find out what's been happening in Indian Country since the National Labor Relations Board began asserting jurisdiction at tribal casinos. The panel includes John Guevremont, a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut, whose Foxwoods Resort Casino is headed for a major sovereignty showdown with the United Auto Workers union.
• Class III Minimum Internal Control Standards: After CRIT v NIGC - A federal appeals court has ruled that the National Indian Gaming Commission cannot regulate Class III activities at tribal casinos. Ask NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, what the agency is doing about it. Tuesday, November 13
• 2008 Elections: What Does it Mean for Indian Country? - A panel of lobbyists, including former Senate Indian Affairs Committee staffer John Tahsuda, a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, will discuss how the Republican and Democratic candidates will affect tribes.
• Conquering Competition: When Racinos Battle Commercial and Indian Gaming - Racetracks are often at odds with tribes -- look at California and Florida for current examples. "In this session, learn how racinos can compete with lower-taxed operators," the panel description reads. Wednesday, November 14
• Tribal Commissioners: Protectors of the Industry - The people closest to a casino are the tribal gaming regulators. This panel will explore how they deal with daily challenges, like scams and cheats, to national issues from Washington, D.C.
• Reaching the Crossroads: When Tribes Get Involved in Commercial Gaming - Now that some tribes have conquered Indian gaming, they are looking at opportunities outside the reservation. The big three -- the Pequots, the Mohegans and the Seminoles -- will discuss their experiences. Thursday, November 15
• Native Matters: Tribal Gaming Past, Present and Future - The keynote led by Ernie Stevens features Delia M. Carlyle, the chairwoman of the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Arizona; J R Matthews, the vice chairman of the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma; Anthony Miranda, the chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association; and Max B. Osceola, a council member for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
• Land Into Trust Applications: What's Ahead for Tribes? - Join assistant secretary Carl Artman and two former Bureau of Indian Affairs officials -- Aurene Martin and Mike Anderson -- as they talk about gaming and land-into-trust. G2E 2007: Indian Gaming Track | At a Glance | Full Program