National Indian Gaming Commission publishes list of tribes with approved ordinances

Thursday, April 4, 2019  

The National Indian Gaming Commission has published a list of tribes with approved Class III gaming ordinances.

The list contains 290 tribes, according to the notice, which appeared in the Federal Register on Thursday. That's up from the 286 tribes that were on the list in 2013, when the NIGC last informed the public of the approved ordinances.

"IGRA requires all tribal gaming ordinances to contain the same requirements concerning tribes' sole proprietary interest and responsibility for the gaming activity, use of net revenues, annual audits, health and safety, background investigations and licensing of key employees and primary management officials," the notice reads, referring to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

In addition to the list, the NIGC publishes all of the tribal gaming ordinances that have been approved on its website. The collection includes both Class II and Class III ordinances so it's more comprehensive.

Class II gaming includes bingo, pull-tabs and electronic forms of those games. Tribes can offer Class II games without state approval or state interference.

Class III gaming include slot machines, card games and related offerings. They can only be operated pursuant to a Class III gaming compact with a state, or under Class III gaming procedures approved by the federal government.

The notice was signed by NIGC Chairman Jonodev Chaudhuri (Muscogee Creek), NIGC Vice Chair Kathryn Isom-Clause (Pueblo of Taos) and Commissioner E. Sequoyah Simermeyer (Coharie). They were named to the agency during the Obama era and have remained on board despite the change in administration in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has not taken action to nominate a new chairman of the NIGC, the independent federal agency that oversees regulation of the tribal gaming industry. Under IGRA, the chairman serves for a term of three years.

Come next month, Chaudhuri will have served as chairman for four years. He was confirmed by the Senate in April 2015.

Under IGRA, the Department of the Interior chooses the other two members of the commission, both of whom are to serve terms of three years. Isom-Clause joined the NIGC in March 2016. Simermeyer joined in November 2015.

Notice of Approved Class III Tribal Gaming Ordinances (April 4, 2019)