Richard A. “Skip” Hayward. Courtesy photo
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Richard A. “Skip” Hayward, the former chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal
Nation of Connecticut,
is being recognized by the American Gaming
Association.
Hayward will be inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame next week. He's being hailed as a "visionary" for helping the tribe open what is now known as the Foxwoods Resort Casino, which for years was the largest gaming facility in the world.
"Hayward is the visionary behind the development of Indian gaming that has evolved into a $30 billion industry," a press release from the organization stated.
Hayward joins other Indian leaders in the Hall of Fame. Lynn Valbuena, the chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission
Indians in California, was inducted in 2015 and Ernie Stevens Jr., the chairman of the National Indian Gaming
Association, was inducted in 2014.
The induction ceremony will take place next Wednesday, September 28, as part of the Global Gaming Expo in
Las Vegas, Nevada. A total of five people are joining the AGA Hall of Fame.
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