Live from the 2007 Global Gaming Expo

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

National Indian Gaming Commission Update
NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen said the agency was moving forward with its controversial Class II regulations despite tribal criticism about the lack of consultation. "These things have to get done sooner or later," he said after announcing that the comment period on the rules was extend to January 24, 2008.

NIGC Vice Chairman Chuck Choney said the Indian Gaming Working Group has expanded its efforts in states like Oklahoma and Connecticut to help tribes address crime at their casinos. "We would like to see one in every state," said Choney, who is leaving the agency next month.

The 2008 Elections
The 2008 presidential election is less than year away and most of the candidates haven't made any major efforts to target the Native vote. But a panel of lobbyists said the national political climate looks bad for the Republicans.

The Bush administration "has had a go-slow policy" on Indian issues, said John Guzik, a Washington lobbyist. "That's why this election is so important," he said.

Just what that means for Indian Country was open to speculation. "A Democratic White House would probably put more emphasis on funding," said John Tahsuda, a former Senate staffer. A Republican president might support more self-governance and government contracting, he said.

As for gaming, the major candidates seem to fall on both sides of the debate. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) might be open to off-reservation casinos because the African-American community around Chicago supports one, one panelist said. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) also appears to be open to the idea, another said.

On the other hand, Sen. Hillary Rodham (D-New York) and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) seem to lean against off-reservation gaming, panelists said. New York has been a major battleground for land claims, land-into-trust, taxation and sovereignty issues.

Tribal-Community Relations
Do tribes make good neighbors if they bring in gambling, traffic and other types of development? Going by stories in the mainstream media, the answer is no.

But a panel representing tribes who have clashed with local governments and residents said Indian gaming has benefited communities nationwide. "We've created jobs," said Tracie Stevens, a policy analyst for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington. "We've created economic development."

In a lot of cases, opposition comes as soon as a tribe announces plans for a casino. John Shagonaby, the vice chairman and CEO for the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan, said the initial response was so overwhelming that it appeared everyone was against gaming.

But he described how the tribe turned the situation around by reaching out to local businesses and informing the public about the benefits of gaming. Nearly every newspaper has since endorsed the casino, which will undergo construction as soon as a court rules in the tribe's favor.

The power of the media can't be underestimated, panelists said. Sheila Morago, the executive director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, said tribes need to act quickly when negative stories are published.

"Staying quiet doesn't help us any," she said.

What's happening during the rest of G2E? A preview:
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

A view of the tradeshow floor at the 2007 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.