The National Indian Gaming Commission will be consulting tribes at two upcoming meetings.
The commission will be on the Tulalip Reservation in Washington next Thursday, July 18. The consultation takes place after the Northwest Indian Gaming Conference & Expo. “It is essential that we engage with tribes on policies that directly affect them," NIGC Chairwoman Tracie Stevens said in a press release. “Tribes and tribal regulators are uniquely positioned to provide relevant information and feedback to the NIGC.” Stevens is a member of the Tulalip Tribes. She will be leaving the NIGC by the end of August, a person with a connection to the Obama administration confirmed. Before she leaves, the commission will be holding another public meeting on August 14 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It takes place following the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference & Trade Show. One of the topics on the agenda for both meetings will be the NIGC's proposal to treat one-touch bingo as a Class II game. Comments are also being accepted in written form until August 26. “The NIGC is not proposing a regulation classifying games but rather our proposal is to reconsider one agency decision related to one type of game — one touch bingo," Stevens said. Federal Register Notice: