The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) on Monday announced the members of an advisory committee that will refine rules and regulations affecting Class II games.
Only one member is from Oklahoma, the state where classification of games has been a hot issue. But NIGC chairman Phil Hogen said the committee will "benefit the entire Indian gaming industry." "In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to deny petitions for certiorari in United States v. Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska and Ashcroft v. Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, our efforts to provide guidance in distinguishing between Class II and Class III games will be even more important," Hogen said in a statement. Hogen created the committee in response to concern over how the NIGC classifies casino games. Class II machines are permissible without a state-tribal compact. Class III machines require state approval but some states refuse to negotiate. The members of the Joint Federal-Tribal Class II Game Classification Standards Advisory Committee are: