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Annual Northwest Gaming Law Summit takes place in Seattle (12/13)

The 10th annual Northwest Gaming Law Summit kicks off today in Seattle, Washington. Featured speakers include Kevin Washburn, the new leader of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Tracie Stevens, the chairwoman of the National...

Fort Sill Apache Tribe waits for answer on New Mexico casino (11/19)

The Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma is hopeful for approval of a casino on its reservation in southern New Mexico. The tribe has a 30-acre reservation but efforts to start gaming there have been...

8th Circuit hears Fond du Lac Band gaming agreement lawsuit (11/14)

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Tuesday in City of Duluth vs. Fond Du Lac Band of Chippewa, a gaming agreement case. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa...

Dave Palermo: Washburn shifts stance on Class III regulation (11/05)

"[Kevin] Washburn, who in 2005 testified that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) should be amended to give the National Indian Gaming Commission more regulatory authority over Class III, casino-style gaming on Indian lands, said...

California tribes await state action on off-reservation casinos (11/05)

Two California tribes made history when their off-reservation casinos were approved by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in September but they are still waiting for legislative approval of their Class III gaming compacts. The Enterprise Rancheria...

Global Gaming Expo panel discusses IGRA as law hits milestone (10/05)

It seems hard to believe but the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 will turn 25 next year. "That time has flown by," Tony Sanchez Jr., the president of the board of directors for the...

ICT interview with Tracie Stevens, Tulalip, chairwoman of NIGC (10/05)

"National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Chairwoman Tracie Stevens proudly reported at the 2011 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) that the commission was “new and improved.” This claim came just a year after she and her colleagues—Vice...

Cities benefit from Graton Rancheria casino mitigation money (09/28)

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is required to make $416,918 in annual casino mitigation payments to four cities in Sonoma County, California. The payments are listed in the record of decision that was approved...

Paxton Myers departs as NIGC chief of staff after two years (09/13)

Paxton Myers is leaving the National Indian Gaming Commission after two years as its chief of staff. Myers, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, joined the NIGC in...

Opinion: NIGC fails to assert leadership role on Internet gaming (08/30)

"A failure by the top federal regulator for American Indian casinos to take a leadership role on Internet wagering annoys tribal leaders who fear proposed congressional legislation to legalize cyberspace gambling will slight indigenous governments....

United Keetoowah Band still confident of decision on casino site (07/30)

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma is confident the Obama administration will keep its disputed casino open. The tribe agreed to close the Keetoowah Cherokee Casino today unless the Bureau of Indian...

Tribes support role of NIGC over regulation of Internet gaming (07/27)

Tribal leaders and Indian experts said the National Indian Gaming Commission should be the federal agency in charge of online tribal gaming. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee released a draft of the Tribal Online Gaming...

Audio from Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on gaming (07/26)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing this afternoon on regulation of tribal gaming. Internet gaming was discussed by most of the witnesses. Tribal leaders notably said the National Indian Gaming Commission should be...

Details of Senate Indian Affairs Committee online gaming draft (07/26)

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee has drafted a bill called the Tribal Online Gaming Act of 2012. The 49-page bill is a discussion draft only. It has not been introduced in the Senate. The draft...

GamblingCompliance: SCIA online gaming bill only allows poker (07/26)

UPDATE: TRIBAL ONLINE GAMING ACT OF 2012: Summary of SCIA Internet gaming bill | Draft of SCIA Internet gaming bill An Internet gaming bill drafted by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee online allows poker, GamblingCompliance...

NIGC reports increases in tribal casino revenues over all regions (07/24)

Tribal casinos took in $27.2 billion in 2011, with gains seen in all regions of the U.S., the National Indian Gaming Commission reported. The figure represents gross gaming revenues for 237 tribes and 421 facilities....

Fitch upgrades ratings for Seminole Tribe's $2.3B gaming debts (06/26)

Fitch Ratings announced upgrades for $2.3 billion in gaming-related debt owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Fitch downgraded the tribe's debt after the National Indian Gaming Commission issued a notice of violation in June...

NIGC rejects Kialegee Tribal Town's jurisdiction over gaming site (06/21)

The National Indian Gaming Commission is maintaining its position that the Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma doesn't have jurisdiction over an Indian allotment. The allotment is owned by two Muscogee sisters who were recently made...

Cherokee Nation ready to fight UKB casino land-into-trust ruling (06/15)

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is getting ready for a potential decision affecting the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians casino. The Cherokees say they will fight the Bureau of Indian Affairs if it approves...

Judge stops county from taking Santa Ysabel Band casino funds (06/15)

A judge in California has barred San Diego County from seizing gaming revenues owned by the Santa Ysabel Band of Mission Indians until a lawsuit can be resolved. The tribe owes $3 million to the...

Ho-Chunk Nation loses arbitration decision for electronic poker (06/14)

The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin is evaluating its options after losing an arbitration ruling on an electronic poker game. The tribe installed eight poker machines at Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison, a Class II facility, last November....

United Keetoowah Band enters agreement on disputed casino (06/11)

The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians reached a settlement with the state of Oklahoma over its disputed casino. The tribe has been engaged in gaming in Tahlequah for more than 20 years. The site...

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe wins approval for gaming ordinance (06/07)

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts won approval of its gaming ordinance from the National Indian Gaming Commission. The ordinance sets up the tribe's gaming commission. The body will regulate the tribe's proposed casino in...

BIA faces July 6 deadline for Graton Rancheria gaming compact (06/05)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has until July 6 to review a Class III gaming compact for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. The deadline comes amid a lawsuit that...

Kialegee Tribal Town asks NIGC to reconsider lands determination (06/01)

The Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma is asking the National Indian Gaming Commission to reconsider the legal status of its casino site. The NIGC issued an Indian lands determination that said the tribe lacked jurisdiction...

Kialegee Tribal Town planning to use gaming site as a sports bar (05/31)

The Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma wants to use its disputed gaming site for a new business. The tribe was building the Red Clay Casino on an Indian allotment. A federal judge blocked further construction...

NIGC warns county in Santa Ysabel Band gaming revenue fight (05/30)

The National Indian Gaming Commission is warning San Diego County, California, not to seize gaming revenues owned by the Santa Ysabel Band of Mission Indians. An arbitrator ruled that the tribe owes $3 million to...

NIGC issues lands determination for Kialegee Tribal Town casino (05/28)

The National Indian Gaming Commission issued its long-awaited Indian lands determination for the Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma. According to the opinion, the site can't be used for the Red Clay Casino because the tribe...

Native Sun News: Sisseton Wahpeton chairman in gaming feud (05/15)

The following story was written and reported by Jesse Abernathy, Native Sun News Editor. All content © Native Sun News. Robert Shepherd, Chairman of Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate AGENCY VILLAGE. SOUTH DAKOTA –– A member of...

Gaming compact for Graton Rancheria ready for BIA approval (05/11)

The California Assembly voted 64-3 on Thursday to approve on a Class III gaming compact for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. The compact already cleared the Senate. Now it can be sent to the...

The Tribal Independent: Turtle Mountain Band debates casino (05/10)

The following article was written and reported by Delvin Cree. All content © The Tribal Independent, an alternative on-line news source for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. BELCOURT, NORTH DAKOTA -- According to information...

Graton Rancheria owes $230M so far in long bid for a casino (05/03)

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria of California owes at least $230 million so far as part of its quest to build a casino, The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports. At a second day of hearings...

Column: Some strange conclusions on Poarch Creek gaming (05/01)

"The Internal Revenue Service says Class III gaming “consists of card games played against the house, slot machines, dog and horse racing, jai alai and all other types of casino gaming.” So what are those...

Public siding with Poarch Creeks in dispute over gaming lands (04/30)

Keep your hands off the casinos owned by Poarch Creek Band of Indians, members of the public in Escambia County in Alabama say. County officials are demanding taxes from the tribe under the U.S. Supreme...

Federal judge says IGRA abrogated tribal sovereign immunity (04/30)

Congress has waived tribal sovereign immunity through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a federal judge ruled on Friday. Judge Gregory Frizzell said IGRA allows states or tribes to file lawsuits in federal court over Class...

Fond du Lac Band back in court over casino agreement (04/20)

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the city of Duluth, Minnesota, were back in court over a disputed gaming agreement. The tribe and the city first entered into an agreement...

Karuk Tribe hopes to improve local economy with casino (04/12)

The Karuk Tribe of California plans to employ more than 200 people at its first casino. The tribe has spent nearly a decade trying to gain approval for the casino. Word finally came on Monday...

NIGC releases Indian land determination for Karuk casino (04/11)

The National Indian Gaming Commission issued a new Indian lands determination that paves the way for the Karuk Tribe of California to open its first casino. In 2004, the NIGC said a 200-acre parcel known...

Karuk Tribe moving toward first casino with NIGC approval (04/10)

The Karuk Tribe of California is getting into the Indian gaming industry. The tribe announced approval from the National Indian Gaming Commission to open a casino. Now comes the hard part, Chairman Russell Attebery said....

Joe Valandra: NIGC Class II draft regulations are a good start (04/05)

"The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) recently published discussion drafts of a set of regulations for Class II. These are the first set of regulations for Class II put forth by Chairwoman Stevens and are...

Native Sun News: Rosebud Sioux gaming suit keeps on turning (04/02)

The following story was written and reported by Jesse Abernathy, Native Sun News Editor. All content © Native Sun News. Charles Colombe Dana Hanna RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA –– An 11-year-old legal case that originated...

Opinion: NIGC review process puts tribes at a disadvantage (04/02)

"One area of vital importance to many Indian tribes is the relationship of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (“IGRA”) to the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). The National Indian Gaming Commission (“NIGC”) requires Indian tribes...

Fond du Lac Band asked BIA to review casino arrangement (03/29)

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to review a lease for its off-reservation casino in Duluth, Minnesota. Last year, the National Indian Gaming Commission ruled...

BIA threatens to cancel lease for Fond du Lac Band casino (03/28)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is threatening to cancel a lease affecting the off-reservation casino owned by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Minnesota. The lease is part of an...

Echo Hawk offers comments on Kialegee Tribal Town casino (03/15)

Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk discussed the controversial Kialegee Tribal Town casino at a meeting with tribal leaders in Oklahoma. Echo Hawk said the Bureau of Indian Affairs is examining leasing and jurisdiction issues affecting...

Local officials pressure BIA and NIGC on Kialegee casino bid (03/13)

Officials in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, were in Washington, D.C., to lobby against the Kialegee Tribal Town casino. The officials met with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Indian Gaming Commission to discuss the...

Creek Nation council opposes Kialegee Tribal Town casino (03/12)

The Muscogee Nation council passed a resolution in opposition to the casino being built by the Kialegee Tribal Town. The Muscogee Nation claims jurisdiction over the gaming site, which is an Indian allotment owned by...

Sokaogon Chippewa Community appeals casino bond ruling (02/21)

The Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Wisconsin is fighting a $20.3 million judgment in a casino bond dispute. The tribe failed to make timely payments to Wells Fargo, Judge William C. Griesbach ruled last month. The...

Sen. McCain questions law firm that receives casino revenue (02/07)

It looks like Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), who led the Congressional investigation into Jack Abramoff, has found a new target. McCain is asking the National Indian Gaming Commission to explain how a firm owned by...

Churches hold 'prayer walk' against Kialegee casino project (02/06)

Several hundred people participated in a "prayer walk" against the Kialegee Tribal Town casino in Oklahoma. Participants walked to an Indian allotment where the tribe is building the Red Clay Casino. They were asked to...

School board concerned about location of Kialegee casino (01/31)

The school board in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is worried about the construction of a school near the site of the Kialegee Tribal Town's proposed casino. The board voted to build the elementary school and pre-kindergarten...

Echo Hawk asked about role on Kialegee Tribal Town casino (01/27)

Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk said the Bureau of Indian Affairs might weigh in on the Kialegee Tribal Town casino in Oklahoma. Echo Hawk said he is waiting on the National Indian Gaming Commission to...

Oklahoma governor also knew of Kialegee Tribal Town casino (01/23)

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) knew about the Kialegee Tribal Town casino as early as February 2011, The Tulsa World reported. The tribe wanted to sign a Class III gaming compact with the state. Fallin's...

Non-Indian law firm receives a cut of tribal gaming revenues (01/23)

Howard Dickstein, a non-Indian attorney, has received a share of gaming revenues from at least two of the tribes he has represented, The Sacramento Bee reports. Dickstein and his firm received 1 percent of profits...

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe announces off-reservation casino plans (01/23)

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians plans to open a $245 million off-reservation casino in Lansing, Michigan. The tribe and the city are holding a press conference today to discuss the development. News...

NIGC chair issues letter on Kialegee Tribal Tribe's gaming site (01/20)

Tracie Stevens, the chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, says her agency continues to review the legality of the Kialegee Tribal Town casino in Oklahoma. In a letter to Rep. John Sullivan (R-Oklahoma), she...

NIGC pressed to make ruling on Kialegee Tribal Town casino (01/19)

Tracie Stevens, the chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, met with Rep. John Sullivan (R-Oklahoma), an opponent of the Kialegee Tribal Town casino, on Wednesday. Stevens didn't comment on the substance of the meeting,...

Kialegee Tribal Town to continue working on disputed casino (01/17)

The Kialegee Tribal Town will continue work on its casino despite opposition from the Muscogee Nation. The Red Clay Casino is located on an Indian allotment owned by two members of the Muscogee Nation. Muscogee...

Opponents seek Congressional action over Kialegee casino (01/13)

Gaming opponents are looking to Congress to block the Kialegee Tribal Town from opening a casino on an Indian allotment near Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Upwards of 800 people attended a forum at a church last...

Kialegee Tribal Town's casino known as far back in June 2010 (01/12)

The Kialegee Tribal Town began working on a casino in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, as early as June 2010, The Tulsa World reports. The tribe started the environmental assessment process in order to obtain a storm...

NIGC works on Indian land determination for Kialegee casino (01/10)

The National Indian Gaming Commission is working on an Indian land determination for the proposed Kialegee Tribal Town casino in Oklahoma. The Red Clay Casino will be located on an Indian allotment. That appears to...

Oklahoma attorney general jumps into Kialegee casino dispute (01/05)

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is jumping into the controversy over the casino proposed by the Kialegee Tribal Town. Pruitt is asking the Obama administration to release all documents related to the Red Clay Casino....

Kialegee Tribal Town stirring controversy with plan for casino (01/03)

The Kialegee Tribal Town wants to open a casino on an Indian allotment in Oklahoma but the Muscogee Nation is objecting to the plan. The Kialegee Tribal Town is leasing the allotment from two members...