Updates from the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas!

Get Out the Vote: Mid-Term Elections and Their Impact on Indian Gaming
Panelists predicted a rather rosy future in the next two years, with Democrats in control of the House and the Senate for the 110th Congress. "I think this election bodes well for Indian Country in many ways," said Larry Rosenthal, one of the partners in the Ietan Consulting lobbying firm.

Rosenthal and John Guzik, another lobbyist, said the Democratic takeover will put more focus on non-gaming issues like trust reform, health care and housing. But Mark Van Norman, the executive director of the National Indian Gaming Association, cautioned tribes not to start celebrating.

"We've got to look at it from the long term," Van Norman told conference attendees. He said tribes will have to work with lawmakers from both parties in order to ensure success.

Some new developments to look for include a House Committee on Indian Affairs, a project of Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Michigan) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma). It could be a standalone committee, or part of the House Resources Committee, panelists said.

Van Norman predicted lawmakers will abandon efforts to restrict off-reservation gaming once the Bureau of Indian Affairs finalizes its new land-into-trust regulations. "We think it's a good regulation" that addresses concerns raised about the process, he said.

Rosenthal and Guzik, however, said controversy over gaming will never go away. But they both agreed any attempts to revise the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act will be limited, rather than broad.

Regulatory Review: NIGC Update
Phil Hogen and Chuck Choney of the National Indian Gaming Commission gave a detailed update of their agency's activities, some of which have generated intense debate among tribes. Hogen said he wants to finalize regulations that would redefine Class II games like bingo despite overwhelming opposition in Indian Country.

"I'm eager to rein in this process," he said.

Hogen also said the NIGC is still very concerned about a recent court decision that limited the role of federal regulators in Class III gaming. He indicated it was possible for the Department of Justice to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but that it was unlikely the justices would accept the case.

The decision prevents the NIGC from enforcing its minimum internal control standards but Hogen said the agency won't stop auditing tribal casino operations. "We aren't going to discontinue those efforts," he said of several ongoing MICA audits.

In other areas, the NIGC wants to finalize regulations for per capita distribution payments. Hogen said the current rules "are obsolete. They aren't very thorough."

Another rule that would require tribes to certify the legality of their casino sites through their licensing processes is also a priority, Hogen said. "We don't have a repository for that information" despite being the agency charged with regulating the $23 billion industry, he noted.

Choney, a former FBI agent, told tribes about the Indian Gaming Working Group, an inter-agency group aimed at stopping crime at tribal casinos. "We need to get a handle on this before it gets out of hand," he said.

Choney credited tribes with being on the forefront of law enforcement. "We are finding a lot of criminal activity at your casinos, which you are reporting to us," he said.

Choney cited a recent case that routed a mafia crime family from casinos in Oklahoma and Idaho. The criminal ring stole $150 million in revenues from the tribes, he said. "We want to protect this revenue as much as you do," he said.

As a result of the efforts, U.S. Attorneys are now going after all sorts of casino crime regardless of the amount of money involved. Previously, prosecutors would only take cases that reached a certain threshold.

A New Appointment at NIGC?
Tracy Burris, the top gaming regulator for the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, observed that no major developments took place at G2E 2006. Last year, he noted that the Department of Justice released its controversial Class II proposal, which has since languished amid tribal opposition.

But there was one bit of important news floating around the conference. Norm DesRosiers, the well-known gaming commissioner for the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians of California, is expected to join Hogen and Choney in Washington, D.C. as the third member of NIGC.

DesRosiers "has expressed an interest in the position," said Van Norman. "His candidacy is possible."

Other attendees indicated an announcement would be made soon. DesRosiers, who is non-Indian, holds all the qualifications for joining the NIGC, which has been missing a third commissioner for over a year.

G2E concludes today. Here is what's in store on the final day of the conference:
Thursday, November 15
� Media Matters: Indian Gaming & The Press - Join Victor Rocha, the proprietor of Pechanga.net and Mark Trahant, the editorial page editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, for a discussion on how Indian gaming is tretaed in the press.
� Future of Indian Gaming: Will D.C. Stop the Growth? - Another timely panel on legislative efforts in Congress that could restrict Indian gaming. Panelists include Virgil Moorehead, the chairman of the Big Lagoon Rancheria, a small California whose efforts to open an off-reservation casino have been thwarted, and Jacob Coin, who works for the San Manuel Band, which opposes off-reservation gaming. � Also, Ernie Stevens, the chairman of the National Indian gaming Association, is scheduled to deliver the day's keynote address.

Conference Program:
Global Gaming Expo

Relevant Links:
Global Gaming Expo - http://www.globalgamingexpo.com
National Indian Gaming Commission - http://www.nigc.gov
National Indian Gaming Association - http://www.indiangaming.org